Ice and Emeralds
by vcshulman
Summary: Albus Potter is in fifth year at Hogwarts when he realizes he has fallen in love with his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy. Soon, the two are swept up in a romance unlike any other, but there is trouble in the Malfoy family. Scorpius is worried about his dad, who has become depressed, and considers quitting school to care for him. The boys rely on each other in an unforgettable summer.
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

As Albus Severus Potter looked around, he could tell the school was buzzing with excitement. There seemed to be an air of anticipation that filled the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All students in third year and up would be visiting Hogsmeade tomorrow and everywhere Albus went, students were chattering lively about their plans for the day trip to the all-magic village.

"I'm excited for tomorrow," said Scorpius Malfoy, Albus's best friend, and fellow Slytherin. The pair of them were walking up to the Great Hall for dinner, accompanied by a few of their Slytherin friends.

"I can't wait to visit Honeydukes again," said Noah Shacklebolt, a fourth year from their house. "I've finished all my Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans from last time. I'll have to buy some more."

"Noah, you never share your Beans," Keith Zabini groaned. "You even eat the bogey-flavoured ones. Maybe this time, you won't devour all your sweets yourself."

"If Noah paid for it all, he gets to eat it all," Albus said, laughing.

The four of them reached the Great Hall, a vast, cavernous room lit by thousands of floating candles suspended above their heads. The enchanted ceiling, which was bewitched to mimic the sky, was midnight blue and twinkled with stars tonight. The boys took their seats at the Slytherin table, joining a few more of their friends. Heiress Jordan and Selel Finnigan, both fifth years, were already seated, anxiously waiting for the Friday feast to begin.

"Tomorrow, I'm filling my pockets with as many Spell Checking Quills as I can carry," Heiress announced as they sat down. "Mum and Dad sent me a few Galleons yesterday."

"Really?" Keith snorted. "I'm getting all the Wizochoc I can get."

It had been over a year since Albus and Scorpius had gone on their adventures with the Time Turner and defeated Delphini, the daughter of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange. Since then, the pair had led reasonably normal lives in Slytherin, making good friends with the other boys and girls in their house and in Gryffindor. The rumours about Scorpius's parentage had disappeared. The truth was now well-known and accepted. Albus and Scorpius were regarded as heroes and made it into many people's good graces. They were now in their fifth year and nearing the end of March.

"The last time I ate Wizochoc, I made myself sick," Scorpius admitted sheepishly. The group laughed as a soft tinkling came from the far end of the Hall, where stood the long staff table. Professor Minerva McGonagall, headmistress of Hogwarts, rapped her spoon against her goblet and cleared her throat.

"Your attention, please." She addressed the four tables in a stern voice. "I would like to remind all students attending Hogsmeade tomorrow that they should wake early, finish breakfast, and be waiting in the Entrance Hall by nine o'clock sharp. Any dawdling may result in losing your Hogsmeade privileges. However, until then, tuck in."

At that moment, the brass platters and goblets along all four tables filled themselves with every kind of food and drink. Albus helped himself to some mashed potatoes and chicken wings. He and his friends chatted merrily about their plans for the upcoming trip and when all the plates were clean, Professor McGonagall dismissed them, and the group headed back to the Slytherin common room.

"I think tomorrow's going to be great," Scorpius said cheerfully as they wound their way through the crowded corridors and down to the dungeons. "It's been a long time since I've had a nice, warm glass of butterbeer."

Albus couldn't help but agree. He missed the foamy, butterscotch-flavoured drink as well. "We should go to The Three Broomsticks tomorrow and get some," he suggested.

Scorpius shrugged. "Yeah, maybe."

Back in the dormitory, Albus and Scorpius changed into their pajamas and attempted to finish their Transfiguration homework. Albus was working on a particularly difficult essay. Scorpius, who had already completed and submitted his essay, was reading the next few chapters in their textbook and trying to get ahead on next week's assignments.

"You're such a geek, you know that?" Albus snickered as he watched his friend study spells he had never seen before.

Scorpius blushed. "We have O.W.L.s this year. I want to make sure I'm prepared." Albus rolled his eyes.

Still, watching Scorpius was more interesting than attempting to explain in two rolls of parchment how to successfully Transfigure a goose into a swan, so he abandoned his essay and grinned as Scorpius transformed his pillow into a large cat and back again. With every swish of his wand, the fat tabby popped in and out of existence. They laughed heartily as the cat grew more and more annoyed with each transformation. As it got late, the other boys told them to shut up and go to sleep.

Albus turned off his lamp and buried himself beneath his covers. "Goodnight, Scorpius," he murmured sleepily.

"Goodnight, Albus."

And with the thought of sipping butterbeers with his best friend the next day, Albus fell into a deep sleep. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Albus was woken the next morning when a pale, blond figure ripped open his emerald bed curtains.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" Scorpius sang as he pulled Albus's blankets off of him.

He groaned and squinted in the oppressive sunlight. As much as he hated this daily morning ritual, he was glad Scorpius didn't let him sleep through his classes every day. He rubbed his eyes with his fists and swung his legs over the edge of his bed.

"Hogsmeade today!" Scorpius called and with a flick of his wand, Keith's and Selel's blankets were yanked away as well. The boys yawned sleepily, but they were used to this. Albus saw that Scorpius was already dressed in jeans and a jade green sweatshirt.

"Blimey, Scorpius, do you have to be so annoying?" Selel complained as he sat up. "It's the crack of dawn!"

Scorpius only chuckled and dropped down on his already-made bed.

"You should get dressed. I want to get up to the Great Hall as soon as possible," he said.

"What's your hurry?" Albus muttered, standing and stretching his arms. Scorpius had a strange, dazed expression on his face.

"There's something I want to do," he answered, a note of something like hope in his voice.

After getting dressed, the Slytherins made their way to the Great Hall. The familiar feeling of eagerness lingered stronger than ever. They sat at the Slytherin table, Albus hungrily filling his plate with toast and eggs. Everyone ate quickly, jingling gold and silver coins, discussing the bookshops and music stores they planned on visiting. Albus locked eyes with Scorpius and was shocked to see anxiety in his features. He hadn't eaten a thing.

"Are you okay?" Albus asked quietly. His friend kept glancing over his shoulder and taking deep breaths.

"I'm fine," Scorpius responded. "I'll be right back."

Without another word, he stood and swaggered over to the -

"Why's Scorp going to the Gryffindor table?" Selel asked, confusion crossing his face.

Albus looked on in horror as his best friend transformed before his eyes. He stood up straighter and strode confidently to the Gryffindor table, sitting down next to none other than Albus's cousin and Gryffindor prefect, Rose Granger-Weasley. Flashing a charming smile, Scorpius said something to Rose that Albus couldn't hear. She and her friends laughed.

Albus felt something squirm unpleasantly in his stomach. Scorpius had had a crush on Rose since their first year together. He had asked her out last Christmas and she gently let him down. Surely, the same would happen this time. Scorpius had said he was receiving more and more pity from Rose, but his cousin was a clever girl. She would see through this ridiculous front Scorpius was putting on.

"Don't tell me he's trying to flirt with Rose again," Heiress gasped. "She's bound to get tired of breaking his heart all the time."

"He's in love with her," Noah suggested. "What's he supposed to do?"

Albus swallowed his toast and pushed his plate away. He had lost his appetite. It bothered him, seeing Scorpius with Rose. She was his cousin, after all. He was protective over her.

Scorpius came back to the table, the widest grin stretching across his face.

"I just asked Rose out on a date today," he informed them. "I invited her to join me at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop."

Keith sighed. "You'll get her next time, mate."

Scorpius smirked. "She said yes."

It was like he had announced their wedding. Half the Slytherin table leaped to their feet and applauded Scorpius, slapping him on the back and congratulating him. Scorpius turned bright red and even took a bow.

"I knew she'd say yes someday," he said proudly.

Albus forced a smile. He thought he'd be drinking butterbeer with his best friend today. Now it seemed Scorpius would be spending the day with Rose.

"You did it, Scorp," he softly uttered.

Twenty minutes later, they were gathered in the Entrance Hall, bundled in sweaters and ready to leave. Albus clutched his money pouch tightly and stood in a huddle with his friends.

"Look, Rose is coming over," Scorpius said happily, peering over their heads.

Sure enough, Rose was striding towards them, her little brother, Hugo, in tow. Walking with them were James and Lily Potter, Albus's older brother and younger sister.

"So," Rose huffed. "Where are we going first?"

"Can we go to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" said Hugo jubilantly. His and Rose's father,

Ron Weasley, ran the joke shop with their uncle, George. "I'd love to get some Fanged Frisbees."

"The last thing we need is you throwing Fanged Frisbees around in the common room," Lily grunted. "I'd rather go to Tomes and Scrolls. I didn't get to go last time."

It was Lily's and Hugo's third year at Hogwarts and the first year they got to go to Hogsmeade. They looked utterly delighted.

"Alright, everyone!" called a loud, male voice. The voice came from Neville Longbottom, the Herbology professor and head of Gryffindor house. All at once, the hundreds of thrilled voices fell silent. Neville was Albus's godfather, but more importantly, he had slain Lord Voldemort's final Horcrux, Nagini, in the Battle of Hogwarts. It was Neville who ultimately defeated the Dark Lord and saved the wizarding world. Albus beamed up at him, standing tall at the front door of the school. Neville caught his eye and winked.

"I'd like you to follow me down to the carriages. They will be transporting you to the village. Six to a carriage," Neville hollered to the bustling crowd.

The heavy oak doors slowly swung open. Neville ushered the students down the steps to a throng of carriages, each being pulled by a leathery Thestral. The fleshless, skeletal, horse-like creatures ruffled their bat-like wings and pawed the hard earth. Albus cast Scorpius a grim look. He knew most students could not see the Thestrals. They could only be seen by wizards who had seen death, and last year, Albus and Scorpius had witnessed Delphi kill their friend, Craig Bowker Jr., right before their eyes. Ever since then, they could both see the eerie Thestrals.

"Six to a carriage!" Neville shouted again as Albus and his friends approached. He smiled warmly at his godson. "How're you doing, Albus?"

"Alright, I suppose," he told him. "I can't wait to buy some sweets."

Neville let out a hearty laugh and clapped him on the shoulder. "Have fun today, son."

Albus nodded. He looked up only to realize Scorpius had vanished. Glancing around, he saw his best friend disappear into a carriage with Rose Granger-Weasley. A sinking feeling flooded him as he followed James and Hugo into the next carriage. Squished between Selel and Heiress, Albus said very little as the Thestrals began to pull them onwards. He kept thinking of how Scorpius had chased after Rose without so much as a backward glance. His bad mood must have appeared obvious because after a few minutes, his brother noticed.

"What's the matter, little brother?" James asked, nudging Albus's knee.

"I'm okay," Albus lied. "I'm just stuck between these two." He pointed his thumbs to Heiress and Selel, who were in a heated argument over who could fit the most Liquorice Wands in their mouth at once. James guffawed and boasted that he once stuffed his face with a least twenty. Albus's mood didn't improve much for the rest of the journey.

Soon enough, they reached Hogsmeade. Swarms of students flooded the shops along the chilly street. A large crowd had already formed outside Honeydukes. Albus, James, Hugo, Selel, Heiress, and Lily joined up with Scorpius, Rose, and Noah. The group decided to hit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes first, because it was impossible to get anywhere near Honeydukes.

"All the good sweets are going to be sold out by the time we get there!" Noah complained as they poured into the joke shop.

"Welcome!" a loud voice called as they squeezed through the front door. A tall, thin, red-headed man sauntered toward them, his arms spread wide.

"Hi dad," Rose cried gleefully as she embraced her father. Ron Weasley hugged her tightly and playfully ruffled Hugo's equally red hair.

Then, a voice came from behind them. "Oy, Ron, who's that?"

Another red-haired man walked in through the back door of the shop, carrying a box with warning labels stamped on it. He looked slightly older than Ron, but his face still possessed a childlike glow. At the sight of his nieces and nephews, he dropped the box and ran toward them. He wrapped Rose, Hugo, Albus, James, and Lily up in a very big and uncomfortable group hug.

"We are so glad you came in," George Weasley said. "We just received a large shipment of Nose-Biting Teacups. We can't wait to show you all."

After an hour or so of browsing through all kinds of fireworks and Extendable Ears, and chatting with the Weasley brothers, the group made their purchases and left. Albus hadn't bought a thing. He stuffed his money pouch into his pocket, seeing as he really didn't plan on buying much today. The group strolled up the street towards Dominic Maestro's Music Shop. Albus stayed behind, watching Scorpius walking by Rose's side. The two howled with laughter over the Nose-Biting Teacups Scorpius had bought for Rose. He glared at the back of Scorpius's head, wishing he had something to throw at him.

All his friends talked cheerfully as they marched over a hill and found the music store. They examined bizarre magic musical instruments that played themselves and formed a beautiful symphony. A silver violin hovered in mid-air near the back of the shop, the bow drawing a sweet lullaby from the strings.

"Care to dance?" Albus heard Scorpius say. He turned to see Rose chuckle softly. Scorpius placed a palm on her waist and took her hand. She glared at him sternly, but let him take her in his arms and they began to sway slowly to the music. It was hard to watch them shuffling awkwardly, trying not to step on each other's toes, but the two appeared to be enjoying themselves. The giggled like idiots as their friends observed them, commenting on how cute they were.

Albus wasn't sure he wanted to see any more of this, so he excused himself and exited the shop.

The day passed by agonizingly slowly. Albus followed his friends through Tomes and Scrolls and Honeydukes, neither of which he could properly enjoy. Everyone was having too much fun to notice his unhappiness. Scorpius hadn't said a word to Albus since that morning. It was as if being in Rose's company had completely wiped the thought of Albus from his mind. Feeling irritable, Albus sulked miserably on a bench outside Honeydukes, listening to fragments of laughter from within the sweets shop. He had gotten fed up with witnessing Scorpius flirt with Rose next to the No-Melt Ice Cream, telling her she was the sweetest thing in the whole store.

Soon, they finally left Honeydukes, Noah's shopping bag loaded with Every Flavour Beans, Keith's full of Wizochoc, and Rose's filled with all the Cauldron Cakes Scorpius had bought for her.

By late afternoon, Scorpius declared that it was time for his date with Rose. He gracefully took her hand and planted a kiss upon it.

"May I take you to tea, my lady?" he asked in a baritone voice. She smirked at him and nodded eagerly. She bid her brother, cousins, and friends farewell. Scorpius barely glanced at Albus as he hesitantly put an arm around Rose's shoulders. The two of them started down the road to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, otherwise known as "the haunt for happy couples." Albus frowned and stared after them, a small part of him wishing for something he couldn't put into words.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

It was nine o'clock in the evening. Albus sat on his bed in the Slytherin dorm. Unfinished Herbology homework lay scattered across his blankets. Knowing his godfather marked his work, Albus always tried to do his best in Herbology. However, tonight he simply couldn't focus. The other boys were being rather rowdy over in the common room, but that wasn't what was bothering him.

Scorpius had completed ignored him that day. He was so swept up in spending a day in Rose's good favour that he seemed to have forgotten his best friend entirely. He didn't speak to Albus at all during dinner. Instead, he talked non-stop to the other Slytherin boys about his how his date with Rose had gone and how she would soon fall in love with him.

Overall, Albus had had better Hogsmeade trips. Seeing Scorpius follow Rose around bothered him. Scorpius could at least respect that she was his cousin. Also, it was cold of him to turn his back on Albus like that. The unpleasant, sinking feeling lingered in his stomach. It brought down his mood significantly. Sighing deeply, he tried not to think of his cousin and his best friend alone at a table in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, joking and sipping hot chocolate. He tried really hard not to think of Scorpius holding her hand, Rose resting her head on his shoulder...

Albus snapped his textbook shut. Too depressed to finish his homework, he decided to get ready for bed. As he began to gather his rolls of parchment, Scorpius walked into the dorm, a big, stupid grin on his face.

"What a day!" he exclaimed as he fell onto his bed. "Probably the best day of my life."

"I'm so glad to hear it," Albus snapped, shoving his papers into his school bag.

"She's amazing. Really. We had so much fun. I can't wait to see her tomorrow," Scorpius said dreamily. "I miss her already."

"You know, I think I've heard enough about your date, actually. Why don't you go blabber about it to someone else?" Feeling the heat rising to his face, Albus reached for his ink bottle but knocked it over. It shattered onto the wooden floor, splattering ink everywhere. "Bloody hell," he muttered.

"Let me help," Scorpius said, rushing over and drawing his wand.

"I don't need your help," Albus said crossly. Pointing his wand at the black stain on the floor, he said: "Scourgify!" The ink instantly disappeared. And then: "Reparo!" The broken pieces of glass flew together. Albus seized the bottle and threw it into his school bag as well.

Scorpius sighed. "Look, Albus. I understand why you're angry. I acted like a prat today. I just got really caught up with Rose and I forgot we were supposed to visit The Three Broomsticks together. I'm sorry."

Albus stared blankly at his friend. If there was one thing he didn't like about Scorpius, it was that he could never stay angry at him. His was disarmed.

"You're right," Albus said softly. "You did act like a prat."

The two of them looked at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing. The atmosphere became instantly lighter.

"I promise not to act like that again," Scorpius said breathlessly.

"I really hope so," Albus said.

Scorpius leaned back against his headboard. "So, I suppose you don't want to hear me talk about my date, is that right?" he said.

He shook his head. "Not really."

A sudden question popped into Albus's mind. He wasn't sure why he wanted to know the answer so badly.

"Did you kiss?" he asked before he could stop himself.

Scorpius's cheeks turned pink. "Maybe," he said at last.

If it was possible for his stomach to sink any lower, it did.

"Oh." It was all he could say.

Scorpius raised a silver blond eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?" he asked suspiciously.

In his mind's eye, he saw his cousin and his best friend snogging in a booth at the stuffy old tea shop. The image replayed itself again and again.

"I don't care, really," Albus said hotly. He could hear the anger in his voice again. "You can kiss whoever you want. To be perfectly honest, it's none of my business."

He waved his hand dismissively in the air. For some reason, knowing Scorpius and Rose had kissed made his furious. How dare Rose? After all those times she turned Scorpius down, now she decided out of nowhere that she fancied him? She barely even knew him. Her lips had no right kissing his best friend. Albus was even angrier at Scorpius. What was he thinking, kissing Albus's cousin? What did he even see in her, anyway?

"What are you so angry about?" Scorpius asked, shock and frustration in his voice. "Why do you care if I kissed Rose?"

"I don't!" Albus yelled back. With that, he yanked his bed curtains together, blocking Scorpius from view. He was so angry his hands trembled as he pulled his shirt off and changed into his pajamas. He turned off the light and got under the covers without saying goodnight. For he had finally named the sinking feeling in his stomach. It was jealousy.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Scorpius didn't wake Albus the next morning. Instead, Selel's round, babyish face was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes.

"Come on, Albus. It's almost time for breakfast. Didn't Scorp wake you?"

Albus blinked several times. "No," he said grumpily. "No, he didn't."

Realizing it was far too early to be bitter, he dismissed Scorpius's immature behaviour and got himself dressed. Selel waited for him and the two walked up to the Great Hall together.

The Slytherin table was bustling with activity. People were showing off all their magical merchandise. Albus regretted not buying anything. He could have used some Chocolate Frogs right about now.

Making a point of sitting as far away from Scorpius as possible, Albus ate slowly and without much appetite. His best friend talked lively about the previous day. Albus didn't bother pretending to listen. He was much too annoyed to act like he cared.

"What's the matter, Albus?" Heiress asked him. "You look troubled."

Right as Albus opened his mouth to tell her he was fine, he saw Rose Granger-Weasley march up to the table. She dropped into the seat next to Scorpius, flung an arm around his neck, and planted a hard kiss on his cheek. Then, she whispered something in his ear that made Scorpius turn bright pink. And just like that, she got up and strode to her own table.

Albus could do nothing but stare down at his half-eaten piece of toast. Once again, he lost the will to eat. The sinking feeling, the jealousy, seemed to be boring a hole in his stomach. He couldn't bring himself to cast his cousin an angry glare. Without meaning to, he glanced up at Scorpius. His best friend looked back at him, but broke the eye contact quickly. Albus looked away as well.

Their first class of the day was History of Magic with the Hufflepuffs. The students from both houses chatted noisily about Rose kissing Scorpius in the Great Hall at breakfast. Even Albus, the only one not joining in the gossip, couldn't focus on Professor Binns's lesson. Toying distractedly with his quill, he thought of spells he could use on Rose if she went near Scorpius again.

"What's gotten into you two?"

To his surprise, Keith Zabini had turned to him, his thumb gesturing over his shoulder towards Scorpius, who was doing a bad job of pretending to hate all the attention he was getting.

"I don't know what you mean," Albus lied, scribbling something on his parchment about giant wars.

"Save it," Keith said plainly. "You two have been ignoring each other since yesterday morning. Why? Is it because of Rose?"

So Keith had noticed. What did he think was going on?

"No," he answered calmly, trying to keep all emotion out of his voice. "That's not why."

He dodged Keith's questions for the rest of the period. Nothing improved much for the rest of the day. Both Noah and Selel tried at getting him to admit what was wrong. They were pretty disappointed when Albus refused to disclose what was bothering him. Last period was the worst. The Slytherins had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors. The whole lesson, Scorpius and Rose sat together, laughing and holding hands. They even stole a few kisses when the teacher wasn't looking. It made Albus sick.

After a miserable dinner, Albus sat in the Slytherin common room. He finished the last few questions for Herbology and completed his Transfiguration essay. Doing homework distracted him from how awful he was feeling. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough. By eight thirty, he had nothing left to do. Determined to push his thoughts away, he pulled out his copy of Hogwarts: A Revised History. His Aunt Hermione had given James, Lily, and himself a copy each for Christmas last year. Curling up in a squishy armchair next to the fireplace, Albus began flipping through the pages of the fat tome, looking for something interesting to learn more about. He settled on reading about the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall.

Albus glanced at his watch a little while later. It was ten thirty. He had devoured several chapters of the history book. The common room was empty except for him. Closing Hogwarts: A Revised History, he shuffled to the dormitory.

Most of the other boys had turned their lights off and fallen asleep, but one person sat awake. Scorpius Malfoy was reading a fat novel in his pajamas, showing no signs of being tired. He barely looked up when Albus entered the room.

"What are you reading?" Albus asked, trying to defuse the tension.

Scorpius's pale eyes moved off the pages. "Oh, so you're talking to me again?"

Albus scoffed. "Says the one who didn't wake me up this morning! So much for 'I'll never act like that again.' Took you five minutes to go back to ignoring me. Is Rose more important to you, then?"

Taken aback, Scorpius shook his head. "Of course not."

"Are you sure about that?"

Scorpius looked hurt. "Albus, don't think for a second that I care about Rose nearly as much as I care about you. You're my best friend."

"You haven't acted like it lately," he retorted.

There was silence. Albus stared into Scorpius's eyes and was shocked to see them water.

"I'm so sorry, Albus. I haven't been a very good friend to you. You have every right to be angry. I should never have let Rose come between us. Don't be cross with me, okay?"

Albus's bitterness dissipated like it had the night before. "Do you mean it this time?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Scorpius gave a small smile and nodded. "Yes."

Albus couldn't help grinning. Scorpius's smile was contagious.

"Let's settle this over a game of Wizard's Chess," Albus suggested.

All the grief of the last two days melted away. The pair of best friends stifled their laughter, trying not to wake their friends, as they played game after game. Scorpius won each and every time and Albus had watched so many of his pieces get smashed that he eventually gave up.

"Checkmate!" Scorpius said once again, as he finished off the last of Albus's knights.

"You're really good at this, you know?" he said as they cleaned up the damaged game pieces and tucked the board under the bed.

"I think you're just really bad at it, actually," Scorpius admitted.

Albus chuckled. He thought about how much he had truly missed Scorpius over the past two days.

"Let's make a promise not to fight again," he said finally. "I don't know if Keith and Selel are enough to spare me from boredom."

Scorpius smiled warmly. "Agreed. I don't know if I like getting all the attention if none of it's from you."

There was a pause. A single heartbeat. Then another. Albus peered into Scorpius's eyes. They were the colour of ice or clear water. His silver blond hair, nearly white, had grown a little too long in their past few months at Hogwarts. Albus's eyes fell on Scorpius's lips. It took him a moment to realize he was leaning towards him. His heartbeat seemed to double in speed. He became suddenly very aware of how quiet it was.

When their lips met, Albus saw nothing but the colour green. It swirled around him and washed over him in waves. Scorpius's lips were beyond soft and surprisingly cold. They tasted like peppermint. He felt the prick of Scorpius's eyelashes against his cheek. Albus could hear his own heartbeat thudding so viciously loud in his ears, he was sure Scorpius could hear it too. Then, he felt Scorpius curl his fingers into the hair at the back of his neck, felt himself being pulled closer, and it felt ... right. In fact, Albus had never felt anything so good in his life.

Yet, he tore himself away.

He missed the feeling of Scorpius's icy skin the second their kiss was broken. Without looking into his eyes, Albus turned away and got into his own bed. He didn't say a word. He had nothing to say. Or rather, he had so much to say that he couldn't dream of spilling it all in one night.

"Did I do something wrong?" Scorpius whispered desperately, pain evident in his voice.

Albus blinked the tears out of his eyes. Although it broke his heart, he tore his curtains shut. He didn't dare speak again. Instead, he changed into his pajamas in silence, turned off his lamp, and got between the sheets, glaring into the blackness, too numb to think, to feel anything.

"Albus?" Scorpius whimpered into the darkness.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

As Scorpius Malfoy tossed and turned, he thought of what it felt like to kiss Albus Severus Potter.

He thought of how it was easy, natural, and deeply satisfying. Compared to a kiss from Rose Granger-Weasley, Scorpius instantly knew which one he preferred. Kissing Rose was nothing like kissing Albus. Her lips were not nearly as gentle. They didn't taste as sweet. Albus's skin, Scorpius thought dreamily, was burning hot and smelled like wood smoke and parchment. His lips were velvet-soft.

Scorpius couldn't believe it. He liked Albus. The idea was so ridiculous it nearly made him laugh aloud.

Yet, it made perfect sense. Albus had been the first and best friend he ever had. He had stood by Scorpius when no one else did. Albus had been there for him when his mother, Astoria, passed away. They'd been through thick and thin together. When it really came down to it, Albus was the one who made Scorpius happy. No matter how many friends he'd made at Hogwarts in the past eighteen months, Scorpius knew he'd always run back to Albus. Deep down, it was the boy sleeping in the next bed over that Scorpius needed the most.

But there was still Rose. He was shocked at how quickly and easily his feelings had changed. Less than an hour ago, he loved her with all his heart. Now, he questioned the way he felt about her. Scorpius knew he would have to break up with Rose. It wasn't fair to go on being her boyfriend when he felt this way about Albus. He would have to tell her about the kiss. He'd have to tell her they couldn't be together anymore. It pained Scorpius to even think of hurting her but the alternative was worse.  
Rolling over, Scorpius miserably wondered why Albus had turned his back on him after they had kissed. Was he angry? Did he resent Scorpius for cheating on Rose? Was it possible he didn't enjoy the kiss?  
Though it took hours, the night eventually dragged him into unconsciousness. 

The next morning, Scorpius woke at his usual early hour. He dressed in sleepy silence as the Sun prepared to rise. Pulling his school robes over his head and tying his shoes, he gingerly pulled Albus's bed curtains open. Albus, stirring not, lay flat on his stomach, untidy brown hair hiding most of his face. His shoulders rose and fell slowly with his breaths. Scorpius felt an overwhelming wave of affection. Resting a hand on Albus's back, he whispered, "Good morning."

Albus's eyes opened groggily beneath his messy hair. "I'm up," he muttered grouchily.

Scorpius smiled and gave his shoulder a squeeze. Then he went to wake the other boys, feeling a warm sense of hope.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Everyone at the Slytherin table seemed tired and unenthusiastic about the upcoming day of lessons. Albus said very little. He refused to look at Scorpius or speak to him. Any glee Scorpius had from that morning was gone. It seemed the kiss had only made things awkward between himself and his best friend.  
Scorpius had to put a conscious effort into avoiding Rose that day. He would delay breaking her heart until he absolutely had to.

In the meantime, he had to put up with Albus's unhappiness. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't think of joke funny enough to cheer him up. Albus was content with keeping to himself and resisting Scorpius's attempts at conversation. Knowing he shouldn't discuss the kiss in public, Scorpius accepted the fact that he'd have to wait until that night to have a proper talk with Albus.

By the time last period rolled around, Scorpius realized the Slytherins had Care of Magical Creatures with the Gryffindors. Rose would be there and everyone would expect them to be glued to each other's side. He found himself hiding out in the library, working on his Potions homework and hoping Madam Pince wouldn't notice him sitting there.

Scorpius skipped dinner and continued to work in the library, now avoiding both Albus and his girlfriend. He had successfully completed his Potions essay, practiced Vanishing Charms, and explained in one roll of parchment why the giant wars of 1764 were significant. Ignoring his own hunger, Scorpius put his work away and headed for the common room.

He approached a portrait of a portly man with thinning hair. He was Horace Slughorn, a former head of Slytherin house. It was Slughorn who had once revealed to Harry Potter a young Tom Riddle's interest in Horcruxes and his desire to split his own soul seven times.

"Merlin's beard," Scorpius muttered to Slughorn, who nodded lazily as his portrait swung open to reveal a hole, through which Scorpius climbed.  
Albus was nowhere to be seen. Scorpius felt somewhat relieved. He had no clue how he was going to explain his feelings to him.

Scorpius had barely crossed the threshold of the common room when Noah came bounding towards him, clutching a letter.

"Hi Scorpius," he said airily. "Your owl came in at dinner, but you weren't there. She brought you this."

Noah handed him a slightly damp envelope. He took it gratefully and thanked Noah.  
Walking over to an armchair by the fireplace, Scorpius opened the letter, which was addressed to him in Draco Malfoy's neat cursive. Tossing the envelope aside, he began to read the letter from his father.

 _Dear Scorpius,_

 _I know it hasn't been long since I last wrote to you, but I suppose I just wanted to talk to you again. How is everything? I know homework must be taking up most of your time. I remember my fifth year. My teachers never once stopped pressuring us about O.W.L.s. However, knowing you, you're probably ahead on most of your assignments. I know you'll do very well._

 _I must say I look forward to you coming home in a few months. This big old house feels lonelier all the time without you. I'm very excited for the new arrival, but I still miss my son._

 _Please write back soon._

 _With love,_

 _Your father_

Scorpius frowned at the letter. His father had been writing to him a lot more often in the past few months. He received a letter every week. They all sounded the same, wanting to know how he was doing, telling him he missed him. Scorpius imagined Draco, sitting alone at Malfoy Manor, no one to keep him company, and felt a pang of guilt. His father must be unhappy. Why else would he be writing all the time? He was lonely. Scorpius stared into the fire. He should go home that weekend and visit him. The new arrival must have been causing him to feel stressed. He probably needed his son now more than ever.

Glancing at the door to the dorm, Scorpius wanted more than anything to go tell Albus. Unfortunately, he and Albus were not on the best of terms. With a miserable sigh, Scorpius realized how much he missed his friend. Getting up, he strode into the dorm, determined to talk to Albus if he had to jinx him into doing it.

He marched over to Albus's bed and found the bed curtain draw tightly shut. Unable to resist, he peeked through them only to find an empty bed.

Scorpius shook his head bitterly and snatched A History of Magic off his nightstand. He flipped irritably through the pages as the night wore on.

A few hours had passed. Most of the other boys had turned their lamps off and went to bed. Scorpius got up to check the common room for Albus for about the eighth time. No sign of him. Albus didn't return for the rest of the night. 


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Albus got very little sleep that night. He had wandered the school corridors until the wee hours of the morning, safe under the Invisibility Cloak James had agreed to share with him. By the time he returned to the Slytherin dorm, the portrait of Horace Slughorn was infuriated at being woken so early in the morning.

He had done a fair bit of thinking in his aimless stroll, finally arriving at two conclusions. The first was that he liked Scorpius Malfoy. Second, Scorpius potentially liked him back.

Their kiss was ... something else. Whenever Albus had imagined his first kiss, he had never dreamed it would be with Scorpius, but now he couldn't believe he ever wanted to kiss anyone else. The more Albus thought about it, the more he desired to kiss those lips again.

He remembered last year, when his father, the famous Harry Potter, had forced Albus to stay away from Scorpius. It had almost killed him. It was then when Albus realized he couldn't live without his best friend. Even now that they had so many other friends, none of them came close to Scorpius. This frightened him. What if the kiss had ruined their friendship? What if things never went back to how they used to be? Scorpius was dating Rose. Surely he hadn't told her about the kiss. She would have ripped both of their heads off.

Albus considered how Scorpius had reacted to him breaking the kiss and giving him the cold shoulder. He had looked heartbroken. Did Scorpius like him back? Whatever happened to his feelings for Rose?

Cold and exhausted, both physically and mentally, Albus got to bed a few short hours before the sun rose and a bright blond boy rubbed his back and told him to rise and shine.

The next few days passed without much improvement and with very restless nights. Albus did not speak to Scorpius or anyone else. He felt himself fading into the background as the shock of Scorpius and Rose becoming a couple wore off. His best friend made countless attempts to strike up a conversation, but Albus didn't want to talk. He went to bed early each night before Scorpius could try to pull him into another heartfelt chat. Whenever his other friends asked him what was wrong, he lied and said he was fine. A part of him resented the way Rose looked at Scorpius, complete adoration in her eyes. Another part of him hated the way Scorpius gave her a half-hearted smile and shrugged away from her kisses. He felt guilty for the way he had been treating Scorpius and for how his actions would hurt Rose, yet his head still pounded with raging jealousy each time she tried to kiss his best friend.

Overall, Albus was more miserable than he'd ever been at Hogwarts, including the time he was forced to end his friendship with Scorpius.

The weekend came again. Albus rolled out of bed on Saturday to find the dorm empty. His watch sat on his nightstand, telling him it was nine thirty. He lazily pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

The door creaked behind him. Scorpius entered slowly, not meeting his eyes. He was wearing his jade green sweatshirt, a look of apprehension on his face.

"Can I talk to you, please?" he said hesitantly.

"You don't need to ask." Albus started to make his bed.

Scorpius walked over, clasping his hands. "Albus, we _need_ to talk about the kiss."

Albus didn't look up from his bed sheets. "You're dating Rose. The kiss never should've happened."

Scorpius took a moment to reply. "You're saying you didn't ... like it?"

Albus sighed. "Of course I liked it. It was amazing."

He saw his best friend blush, that cute little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I thought so."

"But you're dating Rose," Albus repeated.

"I know." Scorpius smiled sadly. "I'm going to break up with her."

Shocked, Albus asked, "Why? You've liked her since first year!"

"That's true." He bit his lip. "But I think I like someone else now."

Only the silence answered. Then Albus said, "You're going to break my cousin's heart because of me?"

"I don't think she's all that attached to me. But I have to tell her we kissed and that my feelings have changed."

Albus didn't know what to say. "What are we going to do?"

Scorpius took a deep breath. "I'm not sure what you want. All I know is that I like you, Albus Potter. Very, very much."

Albus dropped the sheet he had clenched in his fist. A million thoughts raced through his mind at once. "Scorpius," he began, "I ... I like you, too. Obviously. I think I always have. The night we kissed is what made me finally realize it. But what does this mean for us?"

Scorpius gave a small laugh and shrugged. "It means we hold hands in the corridors. You kiss me on the cheek and tell me I'm funny and I call you my - "

Albus cast him an alarmed look. Scorpius bit his lip again.

"And I call you my boyfriend." He said the last word almost like a question.

Albus smoothed out the sheets on his bed. His head and heart seemed to ache in unison.

"Scorpius, do you even know what we're dealing with?" He looked sadly at his best friend. "This could change everything, ruin everything."

"I'm not worried," Scorpius whispered, "about what people will think. My dad's talked to me about stuff like this before. He's always told me he'd accept me no matter what. If you're worried about what your parents will say, your dad's a great man, he won't have a problem with - "

"Is that what you think this is about?" Albus interrupted. "You think this is about boys liking boys? That's not the problem, Scorpius. You are my best friend. If this goes wrong, who am I going to turn to? If we mess this up, I don't think I'll be able to take it."

Albus took a deep breath and resisted the urge to collapse onto his bed. The painful past week had taken its toll on his weary heart and he was starting to feel it now.

He looked into Scorpius's eyes. They sparkled in the morning light, the colour of diamonds.

"I don't know what I want," Albus whispered softly.

He welcomed Scorpius's lips like a blessing and felt his own face being cupped by two cold hands. The bright dormitory disappeared into green smoke. Like last time, it was broken far too soon.

"I do," Scorpius said firmly. Then he turned slowly towards the door and vanished down the stairs.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Scorpius spent the afternoon down at the Quidditch pitch. Gryffindor was playing Ravenclaw and Rose had begged him to come watch her play. The cold March air bit their skin as they trudged down to the pitch, cloaks wrapped tight around them.

Scorpius wasn't all that interested in the sport, but he figured it'd be nice to get out of the castle for the afternoon and get his mind off all the drama he'd been dealing with.

For an hour, Scorpius stood in the Gryffindor stands with Lily and Hugo, watching Rose and James on their Nimbus 2021s, zooming through the air at an incredible speed. James was as great a Seeker as his father had been in school. Rose didn't drop the Quaffle once and never missed a shot at the three goal posts. Heiress was commentating, loudly announcing each of Gryffindors goals. The game was over in fifty minutes, when James took a nose dive towards the earth and swooped back up, the Golden Snitch clutched between his fingers.

Rose flew up to the Gryffindor stands, leaped off her broom, and landed gracefully right next to Scorpius. She let her Nimbus hit the wooden floorboards as she threw her arms around him and gave him a cold kiss on the lips. Scorpius could do nothing but hug her back and try not to fall over onto Lily. He could hear the other Gryffindors roar with applause as Rose kissed both his cheeks, picked up her broom, and flew back down to the pitch.

"That was really cute," Lily said gleefully as they descended from the stands. "You two are such a perfect couple."

"Er, thanks," Scorpius mumbled as they started back towards the castle. Someone grabbed his shoulders from behind. He turned to see James.

"I never thought I'd see that," he shouted over the wind and the sounds of a hundred other students climbing back up to the school.

"Never thought you'd see what?" Scorpius asked numbly.

James laughed. "You and Rose snogging up in the stands. That was adorable."

Scorpius felt himself turn pink. A giggle sounded from behind him. Rose pushed between him and James.

"Hey," she said brightly. "Thanks for coming to watch me play. It means a lot."

Scorpius shrugged. "It was my pleasure. You played great, by the way."

"Thanks." She beamed. "You really think so?"

"Oh, yeah." Scorpius swallowed hard. "Definitely."

The five of them made their way back to the school, Heiress joining them as they reached the Entrance Hall.

"Nice commentating, Heiress," James said as they made their way to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Why, thank you." Heiress flipped her long dark braids over her shoulder. They laughed and parted for their house tables. Selel, Keith, and Noah were already seated. Scorpius felt a little disappointed that Albus was not there.

"I'm guessing Gryffindor won, then?" Selel asked as Scorpius and Heiress sat down.

"Of course," Heiress said. "They performed very well. Our team should feel very afraid to play them."

Noah scoffed. He was a Beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team. "No way! We've got a great team this year. Terrence Parkinson's one of the best Keepers I've ever seen."

That evening, Scorpius sat curled up on his bed, reading a novel Draco had bought for him. He couldn't focus. Between the upsetting letter from his father and his confused feelings for Albus, there was no room in his brain for anything else. To top it all off, he had no clue how to break up with Rose. She was euphoric at winning the Quidditch match. How was he supposed to break her heart now?

Scorpius realized he had been reading the same paragraph over and over again and had absorbed nothing. The book had been written by a Muggle. His father always said he should value the work of non-magical folk just as much as that of wizards. The story was fantastic. There was a powerful female protagonist and an apocalyptic society. He was really enjoying it, however, the lure of the pages couldn't quite reach him that evening.

Sometime around midnight, Albus came up to the dorm. He looked dreadful. Perhaps Scorpius hadn't noticed that morning, but dark purple circles darkened his face. A weary, exhausted look filled his eyes. He appeared to slouch.

As he walked between their beds, Scorpius opened his mouth to tell his best friend he needed to get some rest, but Albus held up his hand.

"I want to try something," he said softly.

Scorpius placed his leather bookmark between the pages of his book and tossed it onto his bedside table.

Albus sat down on Scorpius's bed. Suddenly, he felt his pulse quicken. His hands had become very clammy. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat bumping shoulders with his best friend, the boy he liked so much he was willing to give up his lifelong crush for him.

Albus cast him a nervous glance, but Scorpius only smiled. He couldn't help noticing how pretty Albus's eyes were, green as emeralds, deeper than the ocean. They twinkled merrily like stars, and Scorpius felt elated.

They leaned in. It seemed to take an eternity for their lips to meet. Albus's lips were as soft and warm as always. Scorpius felt an overwhelming sense of joy. Then Albus pulled back.

"I'm sorry," he gasped. "I can't do this. I need to know if you still have feelings for Rose."

Scorpius looked down at the floor. He knew he was ready to let Rose go. Indeed, he had liked her for many years, and truly, she was finally his, but he wanted Albus more. He was finally ready to admit that.

"No," he said firmly, and as sad as it made him, he knew it was the truth. "I don't like her anymore. I like you."

Albus beamed. "Good," he whispered. Then he kissed him.

It felt so wholesome to kiss Albus Potter. His hair was soft in Scorpius's fingers. His skin smelled of soap and he tasted like toothpaste. His nose brushed Scorpius's cheek delicately and his eyelashes tickled his face. Albus wrapped his arms around Scorpius's neck. The roar of Scorpius's pulse overcame any other sound in the quiet dorm. His mind became empty of every woe. In that moment, the only thing that mattered was the two of them.

They parted, only because they so badly needed to breathe. Albus had a strange smile on his face.

"What?" Scorpius asked, also grinning. He was somewhat breathless.

"That was nice, that's all," Albus said, chuckling.

"I know, right." They were openly laughing now.

Albus cocked his head to the side. "Does this make you my boyfriend?"

Scorpius pretended to think deeply for a moment. "Er, yeah. I suppose it does."

Albus flopped back on the bed. "Whoa," he sighed. "Scorpius Malfoy is my boyfriend."

Scorpius poked Albus in the ribs. "Yeah, yeah, you lucky prat. Now get to bed. You're exhausted."

Rising, Albus gave one final appreciative sigh. Then he shuffled into his own bed.

"So, when do you think you'll break up with Rose?" he asked sleepily as he got under the covers.

"I don't know," Scorpius mused. "Maybe Monday. She's really happy over winning the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. I don't want to spoil her mood too soon."

Scorpius looked over to see that Albus had fallen asleep. His arm dangled over the edge of the bed awkwardly. Scorpius smiled endearingly and walked over, tucked Albus's arm beneath the blankets and kissed his forehead. Then he closed his bed curtain, turned off the lamp, and got into his own bed, falling asleep with the widest grin on his face.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Albus slept in that Sunday and woke to find his bed curtains slightly open. Scorpius sat beyond, peering between them.

"Were you watching me sleep?" Albus yawned, pulling the curtains all the way open.

Scorpius grinned guiltily. "You caught me," he admitted.

Albus rolled out of bed. "Why?" he wondered, tugging off his pajama shirt. He felt Scorpius's eyes sweep across his bare chest and collar bones. They both blushed.

"You look so peaceful when you're sleeping," Scorpius murmured.

Albus pulled a t-shirt over his head and walked over to where his boyfriend sat, kissing his lips softly.

"Don't let me catch you doing it again," he whispered.

They sat up in the dorm for few hours, getting through their homework and discussing the Quidditch match. Albus rejoiced at how easy it was to talk to Scorpius now that they had come to terms with their feelings towards each other. Every now and then he had to stare up at him and think _boyfriend_. The thought made him laugh, yet it felt exactly right at the same time, like his whole life had been leading up to it.

The two of them decided to skip lunch in order to avoid Rose Granger-Weasley. They sneaked down to the kitchens and nicked a few chicken legs from the house elves instead. It wasn't that difficult, as the elves begged them to take as much as they wanted.

Breathless with laughter, Albus and Scorpius ran back to the Slytherin common room, fingers full of stolen food. They stuffed themselves by the fireplace until they were too full to eat any more.

They went back up to the dorm, too lazy to do more homework. Scorpius sat on his bed, reading his novel. Albus lay next to him, head in Scorpius's lap. He wanted to ask what his boyfriend's book was about, but a more pressing issue came into his mind.

"What are we going to tell our parents?"

Scorpius shrugged. "We tell them the truth. It's like I told you. They won't have a problem with us."

"Yeah, but _when_ are we going to tell them?" Albus wondered.

Scorpius closed his book. "I don't know. Maybe we could send them a letter."

Albus shook his head. "No. This is the kind of thing you should tell people in person."

"So, when we get back to London in June?" he said.

"Yes. We break the news at King's Cross station," Albus said.

Scorpius laughed. "That'll be a fun conversation. 'Hey dad, guess what? Albus Potter is my boyfriend!'"

Someone in the room gave a tiny gasp. Albus sat up quickly and glared at the door. Noah stood there, his mouth hanging open. He clutched a letter in his shaking hands.

"Noah, what are you doing here?" Scorpius exclaimed, throwing his book aside.

But Noah appeared to be frozen. He swallowed and said, "Are you two ... a couple?"

Albus's mouth became very dry, as though it were filled with sand. Scorpius cleared his throat.

"Er," he said nervously. "Yes, Noah. We are."

A moment of silence passed. Then, slowly but surely, a smile appeared on Noah's face.

"That's great," he whispered. Suddenly, dropping the letter, he said, "I can't wait to tell the others!"

Without warning, he dashed from the room and down the stairs.

"Noah, wait!"

But it was too late. Noah was gone.

"Bloody hell," Albus muttered. Scorpius stood up and went to fetch the letter Noah had dropped on the floor.

"Who's that for?" Albus asked.

"Me," Scorpius answered. "It's from my dad."

At that moment, the sounds of voices came from the staircase. Noah, Selel, Keith, and Heiress, who wasn't supposed to be in the boys' dorm, came bustling through the doorway.

"We've just heard from Noah," Keith said excitedly. "Is it true?"

Four pairs of eyes stared in wonder at the two of them. Albus felt Scorpius take his hand. "It's true," he said happily.

There was a mixed reaction from their friends. Noah, Keith, and Selel looked overjoyed. Heiress scowled.

"What about Rose?" she said crossly. "She still thinks you're her boyfriend. Wouldn't stop asking us where you were."

Scorpius frowned. "I'm going to break up with her tomorrow."

Heiress was not satisfied. "You should break up with her today," she said. "Otherwise you're cheating."

"It's not cheating!" Scorpius protested. "I didn't mean to hurt her. It just sort of happened. Besides, she's just won the Quidditch match yesterday. I don't want to ruin her happiness."

"If you don't tell her, I will," Heiress huffed. Then she turned and ran down the stairs.

"Don't worry about her, mate," said Selel.

"She'll come around," Keith reassured. "So, the two of you? I should have seen it coming."

"Yeah," Selel said. "Albus, is this why you've been so moody lately? Is it because you've been jealous of Rose?"

Albus felt himself turn pink. "I mean, yes, I suppose."

The group laughed and Scorpius threw an arm around his shoulder. Together, they went down to the common room, where Selel and Scorpius went head-to-head in Exploding Snap. Scorpius won at last after the two of them tied over and over again.

Then, barely containing their laughter, the Slytherins went to dinner.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

Scorpius followed his friends through the busy corridors. He seized Albus's arm as they turned a corner and passed the Potions classroom.

"Should I break up with Rose after dinner?" he whispered anxiously in Albus's ear.

Albus shrugged. "If it were up to me, you'd break up with her as soon as possible. But it's not up to me."

Scorpius nodded. "I think I'm going to do it. Before Heiress beats me to it."

"You don't think she was bluffing?" Albus asked as they skirted around a group of seventh years.

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "But Rose should hear it from me."

They had reached the Great Hall. Students poured into the room as the floating candles hovered above their heads.

The Slytherins sat together. Scorpius took a seat next to Albus and held his hand under the table. He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Without meaning to, he made eye contact with Rose, sitting at the Gryffindor table. She winked at him and smiled. The knot in his gut tightened.

Scorpius didn't eat with much enthusiasm. He was too fearful to indulge in the spectacular feast. In his mind, he tried to work out a gentle way of breaking up with Rose. He hoped she wouldn't be too angry with him. He hoped she wouldn't take her anger out on Albus.

Dessert didn't appeal to him much either. All the while, he sat as close to Albus as he could, resisting the urge to rest his head on his shoulder. Albus's warmth seemed to provide him with some comfort.

Professor McGonagall dismissed them for bed. Scorpius felt a thrill of terror. Albus gave his hand a tight squeeze.

"You can do this," he whispered. "It'll be okay."

Scorpius looked at him, wanting to kiss him very much. Instead, he mouthed the words _thank you_. He experienced a small boost in confidence, smiled warmly at his boyfriend, and went to find Rose in the immense crowd.

He pushed his way past countless students. He kept seeing Rose's bright red hair bobbing along just in front of him, but he struggled to reach her. Finally, he caught up to her just as she was about to enter the Gryffindor common room.

"ROSE!" he called over all the noise.

She turned, her smile widening when she saw him. Next to her stood Hugo, James, and Lily.

"You lot go on," she told them. "I'll catch up with you later."

James said something that made Lily and Hugo giggle as they continued to the Gryffindor tower, glancing back over their shoulders as they did.

Rose rushed up to him, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I missed you," she murmured, kissing him softly on the lips.

"Yeah," said Scorpius numbly. "Why don't we go for a walk?"

Rose nodded. "Good idea," she said, cheerful as ever. "I have to patrol the halls, anyway. We could do it together!"

Scorpius had forgotten Rose was a school prefect, like both her parents had been. She wore her gleaming badge on the front of her robes.

They walked down the corridors together. Rose wrapped her arm around Scorpius's waist. He was too afraid to wriggle out of her hold.

He listened to her chatter merrily as they wandered about the school, looking for trouble-makers. Rose talked about how she was preparing for her O.W.L.s and how Gryffindor would most likely lose to Slytherin in the match for the Quidditch Cup.

"Your Chasers are so good," she explained. "We probably won't stand a chance."

As they approached the Entrance Hall, Scorpius's legs felt weak and shaky. They sat down on the marble staircase and watched various students and teachers pass by. Rose lay her head on his shoulder and Scorpius's stomach rolled over.

"You know," she muttered. "I'm so glad I agreed to go out with you. I've never been happier."

Scorpius tried not to wince. His hands started to become very sweaty.

"I wish I'd known a year ago how great we'd be together," Rose continued. "I would have gone out with you sooner."

"You needed time," Scorpius said hoarsely. He was still trying to think of ways to let her down. His mouth was becoming increasingly dry.

"I know, but still. It would have been nice to know. And to think I used to be so mean to you."

"That's alright," he said quickly. He was running out of time.

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Scorpius. You didn't deserve to have all those people making up that rumour about you being You-Know-Who's son. No one should have to deal with something like that. And then losing your mom … that was just dreadful."

"It's okay, Rose," Scorpius said. He was rather touched by her words.

"No, it's not okay. Because I like you a lot, Scorpius. And I want to show you how much I like you. I want to make up for all the bad things that have happened to you."

She lifted her head off his shoulder and began to fiddle with something on her wrist.

Scorpius's heartbeat leaped as she removed a silver, jingling charm bracelet. The bracelet adorned only one bead, a ruby-coloured rose.

"This was a gift from mum and dad for my thirteenth birthday," she explained. "I want you to have it."

Scorpius didn't know what to say. "No, Rose. I can't accept this."

"I know it may be a little early," she admitted. "But I truly care for you, Scorpius. This bracelet is really special. Now, whenever you look at it, you'll think of me."

He took the charm bracelet with trembling fingers.

"It represents how strongly I feel for you," said Rose firmly.

Scorpius knew he had to do it now. His heart couldn't take any more.

"Rose," he began breathlessly. "There's something I need to tell you. It's not going to be easy for you to hear. You'll probably end up hating me."

Rose quickly shook her head. "Nothing you could say or do could possibly change the way I feel about you."

He grimaced. "Alright," he said apprehensively. "I kissed Albus."

The Entrance Hall seemed to become several degrees colder. "What?" Rose asked weakly. Her face was frozen in shock.

"It happened one night in our dorm. We were playing chess and it just sort of happened."

He saw the look on her face. "I am so sorry, Rose," he told her. "I never meant for this to happen. But Albus and I ... we really like each other. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was afraid of hurting your feelings."

Rose's eyes had filled with tears. Her bottom lip began to quiver. "When?" she said in a tiny voice.

"Sunday night," he said. "The day after the Hogsmeade trip."

She had begun to cry. Fat tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. Her lips were pressed together in misery.

"Don't be angry with Albus. This is all my fault. He didn't mean for this to happen either."

"Rose?" said a voice.

Scorpius looked up to see Albus walking towards them.

"You!" she yelled, jumping to her feet. "You're not supposed to be out of your dorm."

Then she fell back onto the stairs and broke into a chorus of sobs. Scorpius and Albus both scrambled to her side.

"We're very sorry, Rose," Albus said, patting her shoulder.

Scorpius felt very cold. The charm bracelet was still clutched in his numb fingers.

Rose sprang to her feet once more. She hastily wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. Puffing up her chest, she took a deep breath.

"Albus," she said dangerously. She withdrew her wand from the pocket of her robes and pointed it at him. "If you dare break Scorpius Malfoy's heart, I will curse you into oblivion. He's an angel and you're bloody lucky to have him."

Albus swallowed hard but nodded. Rose had a bright spark in her eye that was somewhat intimidating.

"And you," she snapped, turning to aim her wand at Scorpius's chest. "If you break my cousin's heart, I'll have you in detention for the rest of your natural life. Do you understand me?"

Scorpius nodded fearfully. "Yeah, of course," he said.

Rose lowered her wand, eventually shoving it back into her pocket and opened her arms. With a quick glance at Albus, who shrugged unknowingly, they let her wrestle them into a great bear hug.

Scorpius held out the bracelet. "It's not right for me to take this," he said. "Not after what I've done."

But Rose pushed his hand away. "No," she said. "I still want you to keep it. This doesn't change a thing."

He felt the tiny rose-shaped bead pressed against his palm. He quickly hid it inside his pocket before Albus could ask about it.

"Now," Rose said briskly, standing tall. "Off to bed, both of you. I don't want to see either of you in these corridors again tonight."

Scorpius looked at Albus. He smiled nervously. Together, they dashed down the steps and shot towards the corridor. Scorpius glanced over his shoulder as they sped off to the dungeons. He saw Rose fall onto the stair behind her, her face hidden behind her hands. Her shoulders shook.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

Scorpius was once again reading his novel. Albus lay sprawled out across the foot of his bed, lazily drawing swirls of white smoke in the air with his wand. Scorpius knew they should have been revising for their O.W.L.s, but neither of them felt up to that task today.

Nearly three weeks had passed since he had broken up with Rose. These had been some of the best weeks of Scorpius's life. The student body of Hogwarts seemed to respond positively to his new relationship with Albus. Though the two of them got quite a few people staring, pointing, and whispering to their friends when they passed, Scorpius never hesitated to hold his boyfriend's hand in the corridors or kiss him in public.

Overall, both the students and the teachers seemed to think they were a good couple. Professor McGonagall actually beamed whenever she saw them together. Lily scolded Scorpius harshly for breaking Rose's heart, but secretly admitted she thought he was much better paired with Albus. James couldn't make enough jokes about how Scorpius had dumped Rose for a boy and Hugo seemed entirely disinterested in the whole affair.

Rose had become very quiet. She didn't laugh loudly at dinner or holler to her friends in the corridors like she used to. When she smiled, the joy didn't quite reach her eyes anymore. Lily said she heard her crying in the dormitories or the girls' bathrooms. Scorpius felt a horrible stab of guilt whenever he saw her. He made an effort not to kiss Albus in front of her. There was no need to rub it in. Her heart was broken and he was very sorry. Her charm bracelet sat in the drawer of his bedside table, cold as ever.

The Slytherins weren't all that surprised at the news that Scorpius was dating Albus. They seemed to accept the fact without much uproar. They knew the two of them were always close. This was just the inevitable finally happening. Even Heiress grew warmer towards Scorpius once he made his feelings clear to Rose.

Things with Albus were perfect. He couldn't look at him without feeling a swooping surge of affection. They were spending nearly all their time together in the library, the common room, or the dorm, just enjoying each others' company. Now that they had finally accepted the way they felt about each other, everything became easier. It was like the two of them had overcome some great obstacle in their relationship and they had finally found where they were meant to be: in each other's arms. The Sun and the stars shone a little brighter now that they were together, but maybe Scorpius was just being poetic.

"I'm bored," Albus muttered distractedly. "Let's play some chess."

"Good idea," Scorpius said, his weary eyes wanting a break from the words printed on the pages.

He stood up and began to rummage under his bed for the chess board when his fingers felt something that wasn't a dust bunny or a stray sock. Scorpius withdrew a letter. He realized with a jolt that it was the letter Noah had been trying to give him the day he and Albus had made their relationship public. It was addressed to him in his father's neat cursive. Scorpius swore softly under his breath and tore the envelope open.

"What's that?" Albus asked, rolling over onto his stomach to read the letter upside down.

"A letter from my father," Scorpius muttered. "I totally forgot about it. He sent it to me weeks ago."

He hastily unfolded the letter.

 _Dear Scorpius,_

 _You didn't reply to my last letter. I hope this one reaches you okay. How are you doing? How's Albus? I'm sure you're very busy revising for your exams. I hope you're getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water. Make sure you take time off just to rest. You_

 _have a habit of working too hard._

 _I've gotten an update on the new arrival. Everything's going very well. We might be expecting it a little sooner than anticipated, but it'll be okay. Don't you worry._

 _I'm counting down the days until you come home. It's too quiet around here without you. There are never enough ways to pass the time. I miss your company very much._

 _I want to hear from you as soon as possible. Please write back today._

 _Love,_

 _Your father_

Scorpius winced when he read the last line of the sad letter.

"What's wrong?" Albus asked, looking concerned.

Scorpius reread the letter twice more. "I've got to write back," he muttered. "Right away."

Albus grabbed his arm. "Hang on," he said. "Is everything okay?"

"No," he murmured. "I'm worried about my dad. He's been writing to me more often lately. And his letters always sound like this."

Scorpius handed Albus the letter, pointing to the last paragraph. He watched Albus's eyes move across the lines, his brow creasing more as he read.

"He sounds lonely," Albus said, sitting up and scanning the page again. "I think he just wants to hear from you."

"He didn't always used to write like this." Scorpius shook his head. "Albus, I think he's depressed."

Albus didn't say anything at first. "What are you going to do?"

Scorpius stared at the letter. "I need to go see him. This weekend. I'll talk to McGonagall and see if she'll let me go home."

Albus stood up quickly. "Scorpius," he began. "Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions? What if everything's alright and you're just misinterpreting what you're reading?"

Scorpius scowled. "What am I supposed to do? Ignore him? He sounds miserable and he's all alone!"

Albus put his hands up in surrender. "Listen, I understand why you're worried. But why don't you write back before you go running off to Malfoy Manor? Be upfront and ask him if he wants you to come home."

Scorpius considered this. Albus was right. It would be foolish to leave Hogwarts without asking Draco first. He nudged his boyfriend.

"Hey, aren't I supposed to be the logical one?" he said.

Albus shrugged his shoulders. "I think you should be writing to your dad, Mr. Logic."

Scorpius nodded and pulled his school bag out from under the bed, opened it, and withdrew some parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink.

He brought the materials down to the common room, Albus on his heels. Sitting down at a rough wooden desk, he began to write.

 _Dear Dad,_

 _I'm sorry it's taken me so long to answer your letters. I lost that last one until I found it under my bed this morning._

 _Things at Hogwarts are great. The homework is really piling up, but I'm staying on top of it. I'm still getting eight hours of sleep (give or take) and staying hydrated. Albus and I are doing really well. We're getting ready for our upcoming O.W.L.s._

 _How are you doing, dad? Is everything alright at the Manor? It must be kind of lonely. Do you want me to come home over the weekend? I could ask Professor McGonagall if I could use her fireplace._

 _I'm looking forward to finishing the year and coming home. I miss you._

 _With love,_

 _Scorpius_

"Looks alright," Albus said, reading over his shoulder.

"I just hope he's okay," Scorpius whispered.

Together, they walked to the Owlery, hand in hand. Albus talked happily, but Scorpius was more worried than ever. He felt guilty for forgetting to answer his father's letters. Something at the back of his mind told him Draco wasn't doing so well. Scorpius hoped his father would allow him to return home for the weekend and check on him. On top of that, he was anxious about the new arrival. How early were they to be expecting it?

All this he thought to himself as he strolled to the Owlery tower with his boyfriend, a hastily scribbled letter in his pocket.

It took Draco two days to respond. By Saturday breakfast, Scorpius's saw his owl swoop into the Great Hall. His father had named the beautiful barn owl Blondie. She perched herself gracefully on top of a jug of orange juice, a letter tied to her foot.

"Thanks, Blondie," he said, taking the letter. Blondie gave his finger an affectionate nip and took off.

"Is that from your dad?" Albus asked, dropping his fork.

"Yeah," he answered, opening it quickly.

"What does it say," Albus said eagerly, leaning in from across the table.

Scorpius read aloud:

" _Dear Scorpius,_

 _I am so glad to hear you are doing well. Keep up the good work and you'll be done your exams in no time._

 _Don't you dare worry about me. I'm perfectly alright. Do not go bothering Professor McGonagall and whatever you do, DO NOT LEAVE THE SCHOOL. If I hear you've gone running off on another great adventure with that friend Albus of yours, I will send you so many Howlers you'll never be able to show your face in the Great Hall again. I assure you, I am doing fine._

 _I'll see you at King's Cross Station in a few weeks time. I love you very much._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your father_ ".

"I guess he's okay," Albus said, munching on a piece of toast.

"I guess so," Scorpius muttered, scowling at the letter.

The nagging feeling still lingered at the back of his mind. Scorpius couldn't say how he knew, but something told him his father was much worse off than he was letting on.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Albus took his boyfriend by the hand. It was a Wednesday afternoon in May. They were making their way down to Hagrid's hut. It had been a while since they had last visited him.

"I hope Hagrid doesn't try to feed us," Albus said as they crossed the grounds and walked towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"His biscuits are hard as rocks," Scorpius said. "I almost broke a tooth last time." They were approaching the front door of the small house. Smoke wafted up from the chimney and a loud barking came from within.

"Sounds like Saber is excited to see us," Albus said, laughing as they knocked on the heavy oak door.

The enormous form of Rubeus Hagrid appeared before them. He was over eight feet tall, with a great tangled mess of bushy brown hair, shot with gray, and a graying beard to go with it. His black eyes twinkled merrily when he saw them. His lined face broke into a smile. At his knees, a large boarhound barked heartily.

"Well, what're yeh standin' there for? C'mon in." He greeted them warmly as they entered his cozy cottage. A great fire blazed beneath a heavy stone mantle and an oversized wooden table stood in the center of the one-room house. Albus and Scorpius took their usual seats. Saber the boarhound licked Scorpius's hand before resting his big head in Albus's lap.

"How have you been, Hagrid?" Scorpius fetched some teacups and saucers from a cupboard.

Hagrid put on a pair of tattered oven mitts and took an iron kettle off the fire. He distributed tea bags and poured them each a cup of hot water.

"I bin doin' alright." He grunted as he dropped into a chair. Suddenly, his hairy face lit up.

"Never mind me," he exclaimed. "How 'ave you two bin? I heard the news from yer godfather, Albus. Reckon he may want ter talk ter yeh 'bout it soon."

Hagrid leaned back in his chair, nodding meaningfully. Albus felt himself go red as he looked at Scorpius, who grinned into his teacup.

"The son o' Harry Potter, seein' the son o' Draco Malfoy. Didn't see that comin'."

"Of course not." Scorpius looked into his tea. "My dad was a bratty little bully when he was in school. He told me so himself."

Hagrid chuckled. "I'm sure he wasn't all bad. Must've been a decent kid when he wasn't taunting Harry or trying ter get me sacked."

The three of them laughed. Albus was often pleasantly surprised by how much Hagrid seemed to like Scorpius considering how much he disliked Draco. The two of them got along very well.

"Anyway, you two aren't yer fathers. You get on much better than they did. How long 'ave you bin ... together?" Hagrid raised a furry eyebrow.

Albus held Scorpius's hand on the tabletop. "Almost six weeks."

Hagrid laughed, shaking his head and muttering, "I'd never 'ave guessed."

The three of them finished their tea and spent the afternoon conversing about upcoming exams and plans for the summer. By the time the Sun sank towards the horizon, they had thanked Hagrid for the tea and were making their way back up to the castle, hand in hand, as always.

They had Potions first period the next day. Albus sat with Scorpius and talked with the other Slytherins in the stuffy dungeon. The soft chatter died instantly when a tall young woman swept into the room. Her short pixie cut was black and navy blue dress swayed as she crossed to the front of the class. With her wand, she drew a single word on the blackboard: Veritaserum.

"Today, we will be studying this tricky little potion," said Professor Madison Miyamoto.

Her smoldering smokey eyes gleamed in the torchlight as she surveyed the class.

"Who can tell me what this potion does?" She walked over to her desk and sat on it. Scorpius and a few others raised their hands. Albus knew he could answer this. His hand lofted into the air.

"Tell us, Mr. Potter," Professor Miyamoto said.

"It forces the drinker to tell the truth," Albus declared.

Professor Miyamoto nodded. "That is correct. Five points to Slytherin. This potion is very difficult to make. It needs a full lunar phase to mature. That is why we are starting to make ours today. In one month's time, they will be complete. Just in time for your O.W.L.s."

"Now." She picked up a squat black jar and swished the contents around. "What are the physical properties of Veritaserum?"

Scorpius lifted his hand in the air once more. Professor Miyamoto called on him.

"Veritaserum is transparent, odourless, and colourless, like water," he answered.

"Very good, Mr. Malfoy. Another five points to Slytherin," said the professor. "Before we get our cauldrons and ingredients out, I would like you all to get into pairs. We are going to be testing a single drop of Veritaserum."

An unpleasant silence fell over the class.

"We're going to test the truth-telling potion?" Keith asked nervously.

"Not to worry," said Professor Miyamoto. "This is not a particularly strong brew of Veritaserum. Also, the effects of one drop will not be too severe, and it should wear off within ten to fifteen minutes. It is only under these conditions that the Ministry would allow me to give you this potion. I feel it is important for you to experience the effects of Veritaserum before we begin to make some ourselves."

With the sharp flick of her wand, a cupboard opened and a dozen or so goblets drifted out. They landed on various desks across the room. One landed on the table before Albus and Scorpius.

"Want to be my partner?" Scorpius asked, smirking.

"No, I was actually going to pair up with Selel," Albus said sarcastically.

The goblet filled itself with an orange liquid.

"I am going to be adding one drop of Veritaserum to the pumpkin juice in your goblets," Professor Miyamoto announced. "Do not drink from them until I tell you to."

Selel hastily put his goblet down again after obviously wanting to slurp down the juice.

"I want you to choose one partner to drink the mixture. The other will ask them the questions that are on the board."

Flourishing her wand, five simple questions appeared on the blackboard. They said things like: 'What is your full name?' or 'Have you started revising for you O.W.L.s?'

Question number five was 'Is Professor Miyamoto your favourite teacher?'

"The drinker will find themselves unable to lie," the professor explained. "You are to ask these questions and these questions only. If I hear anyone asking something that is not on the board, you can expect a week's detention with me."

She picked up a glass medicine dropper and stuck it into the black jar. The medicine dropper filled with a clear liquid. If Albus didn't know better, he would have thought it was water.

"Is there any way to resist the effects of Veritaserum?" Professor Miyamoto asked as she released a drop of potion into Heiress's and Selel's pumpkin juice.

"Yes," Scorpius said. "There is an antidote. And it can be resisted through Occlumency."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. I think that will be five more points for Slytherin. Antidotes can be prepared to reverse Veritaserum. One who has mastered Occlumency can fight the effects as well."

She let one drop of potion fall into the cup before them. Albus watched the ripples form on the surface on the juice.

"I'll be the drinker," he said. Scorpius raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I can drink first if you want."

"No, it's okay. I trust you," Albus said.

"The drinker may now consume the mixture," Professor Miyamoto instructed. "It will take a few moments to take effect."

Albus took his goblet with trembling fingers. The pumpkin juice was sweet and refreshingly cold. He drained it all in three gulps.

"Do you feel any different?" Scorpius asked.

"No," Albus said. Then, a strange, warm sensation filled him from head to toe. "Yes," he said before he could stop himself. "I do feel different."

"I guess it's working." Scorpius glanced at the blackboard. "First question. What is your full name?"

"Albus Severus Potter," his mouth said in a monotonous voice without his permission. A shudder rattled his body as he tried to fight the potion, but all that happened was a sudden ache in his gut.

"Question number two. How tall are you?" Scorpius continued.

"Five foot four," Albus answered, although he normally would have said five five. The pain in his core worsened the more he tried to resist.

"Nice," Scorpius said, suppressing a laugh. "Next question. When is your birthday?"

"May 16, 2006," Albus said quickly. He decided to stop fighting and the pain eased slightly.

"Almost done. Have you started revising for your O.W.L.s?"

"No, I haven't," he admitted against his will in the same flat tone. Scorpius bit his lip.

"Me neither, so don't worry," he reassured. "Last question. Is Professor Miyamoto your favourite teacher?"

"Yes, she is." Albus felt relieved that he was done being questioned.

Scorpius looked around the class. Professor Miyamoto was talking to some Ravenclaws on the other side of the room.

"I've got one more question for you," he whispered. The colour seemed to drain from his skin. "I know we're not supposed to, but I have to ask."

He leaned in, a slightly panicked look in his eyes.

"Do you love me?"

Albus didn't need any truth potion to answer honestly. "Yes. I love you." A cold sensation flushed through his body and he knew the potion had worn off. Scorpius smiled, tears filling his eyes.

"Oh, Albus," he gasped. "I love you, too."

"How touching," said a cool voice. Professor Miyamoto had strode over to their table. A look of disapproval shrouded her smooth features.

"Sorry, Professor!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"I thought I made myself clear, Mr. Malfoy. You were only to ask the questions on the board."

The whole class was silent now. All eyes were on the two of them and their teacher.

Professor Miyamoto glared sternly, her brows furrowed. "What did you ask Mr. Potter just now?"

Scorpius turned scarlet. "Nothing, professor," he murmured. "I'm sorry."

Professor Miyamoto leaned towards the two of them. Her expression softened.

"That was very sweet," she said. "But do not disregard my rules again."

With that, she marched swiftly to the front of the room and continued the lesson as though nothing had happened.

"Well, that was awkward," Albus said as they left Potions class and made their way to Charms.

"I know," Scorpius huffed. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, Albus. I just -"

"It's alright." He seized his hand and kissed it. "At least we know now."

Scorpius beamed. "I love you," he declared, opening his arms. "No Veritaserum involved."

"I love you too," Albus replied. The knowledge of how deeply true it was made him breathless.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

The days of May seemed to speed by. Albus's sixteenth birthday was spent working through alarmingly tall piles of homework in the common room and revising for exams with Scorpius. There were far too many late nights of writing essays and making notes. When Albus was not revising, he was snuggling up next to Scorpius in an armchair by the fire, kissing him behind a textbook in the common room, or laying in his bed while his boyfriend read aloud from his immersive novel. He liked listening to Scorpius read. He did different voices and accents and used dramatic tones that could pull anybody into the story.

It was nearing midnight, and Albus lay next to Scorpius, watching him intently as he read from the book. Scorpius's eyes were bright and animated as he used hand gestures to accompany his voice. Albus was too drowsy to really listen, but instead stared engrossed as his boyfriend told the story. He watched as his skin glowed in the lamplight that turned his white-blond hair golden.

"You're beautiful, you know?" Albus said before he could think twice. Scorpius stopped reading at once and glowered at him.

"Have you been listening to anything I've been reading?" he said.

"To be honest, no," Albus admitted guiltily. Scorpius frowned and closed the book. "I don't want you to stop, though," he added.

Scorpius smirked. "I'll keep going if you listen."

Albus chuckled. "Fine. I'll try not to get distracted again."

"You're ridiculous." Nonetheless, he kept reading the story and Albus fell more in love with each word.

Albus was making his way to his godfather's office. Professor Longbottom had come up to him during their Herbology class that day. While Albus was trying not to let his Chinese Chomping Cabbage bite his fingers off, his godfather approached him.

"I'd like you to come by my office at eight o'clock tonight. I want to talk to you."

Albus had a feeling he knew what the subject of this meeting was going to be, so he decided not to tell Scorpius about it. Hagrid had warned him that this might happen.

He walked down to the ground floor of the castle and headed towards the greenhouses. Soon, he saw a green door with a brass knocker. Knocking thrice, Albus waited. After a moment, his godfather opened the door.

"Hello, Albus. Thanks for coming." Neville invited him inside.

The Herbology professor's office looked quite a lot like the greenhouses. It was almost like stepping into a jungle. A wide assortment of strange plants and flowers covered every available surface. Tables, shelves, chairs, and countertops had potted plants upon them. Some Albus recognized, like a large Mandrake plant sitting beside a dusty velvet couch and Puffapod by the window. Others Albus had never seen before. A writhing vine with purple thorns and snapping yellow flowers squirmed in the corner. Next to Neville's handsome redwood desk stood a shrub that appeared to be growing horseshoes.

His godfather took a seat at his desk and gestured for Albus to sit across from him on the couch. Albus sat and folded his hands innocently upon his lap.

"So, Albus. How have your classes been going?" Neville began vaguely.

Albus shrugged. "They've been going well, I suppose."

The professor nodded, apparently satisfied with that answer. "I'm glad to hear it. Your Herbology mark stands at Exceeds Expectations. I'm very impressed."

"Now, onto something besides school," Neville continued. "How're your friends?"

"They're great. We're excited for the final Quidditch match: Slytherin versus Gryffindor," Albus said pleasantly, determined to remain casual.

"I'm looking forward to it, too." Neville raised an eyebrow. "Who do you think will win?"

"Slytherin is going to flatten you," he said confidently. The room filled with laughter and the tension lifted. Neville waved a finger in the air.

"You haven't seen my house play, Albus. They are spectacular."

"We'll see," Albus said.

The Herbology professor leaned forward in his chair. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you, Albus. You and Scorpius … what's going on there?"

In spite of himself, Albus felt himself turn pink. He never thought he'd have to explain this to his godfather and yet, here he was, having to spell it out for him.

"Scorpius is my boyfriend, sir."

If Neville was shocked to hear this, he didn't show it. Nodding slowly, he scratched the stubble growing on his round face. Then, he smiled. A warm rosiness arose in his plump cheeks. "I see. Have you told your parents that you're -"

"Scorpius and I agreed to tell our parents about our relationship when we get back to King's Cross Station, so they can hear it from us in person," Albus interrupted. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell my father before I've had the chance to," he added dangerously.

Neville bowed his head. "I understand. I'm just worried about you, Albus. This is your first relationship and you're with Scorpius Malfoy … I don't want you getting hurt."

"You're scared Scorpius is going to do what, exactly? Break my heart?" Albus asked, flabbergasted.

"He broke Rose's heart," Neville retorted. "He got together with you right after breaking up with her."

"The situation with Rose was complicated," Albus said slowly. "But Scorpius is with me now."

Neville examined the leaves of a Venus flytrap growing from a hanging flower pot next to his chair. "Forgive me, son. I don't particularly trust the boy."

"He's best in your class. And he's never been anything but kind to me. Are you sure this has nothing to do with the way you felt about Draco? Or that old rumour about Scorpius?"

Neville narrowed his eyes. "Draco bullying me in school has nothing to do with this. And neither does that ridiculous rumour. I don't like that he hurt Rose. I don't want to see the same thing happen to you."

"Sir, Scorpius isn't going to hurt me. He loves me. We're happy together."

Albus stood up, feeling hot in the humidity of the office. His hands trembled with anger. "Can I go now?"

Neville stood too. His expression softened. "I'm sorry, Albus. I didn't mean to upset you -"

"I've got to go, sir. My boyfriend will be wondering where I am." Albus put emphasis on the word and was delighted to see Neville try and hide a grimace. Without another word, he marched to the emerald door and yanked it open.

"Albus, wait!"

But Albus stormed off, slamming the door behind him. He swore not to tell Scorpius about the conversation he'd just had. Scorpius had enough to worry about already.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

"You should come over to my house this summer," Scorpius said.

He walked into the dorm, fresh from the showers, his hair still damp. He had a towel wrapped around his waist. Albus sat on his bed, eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans while reading his Herbology textbook. The pair had spent the afternoon with their house down at the Quidditch pitch, where Slytherin had beat Gryffindor one hundred and eighty-to-twenty and secured the Quidditch Cup. The other boys were in the common room, celebrating the victory rather loudly.

"I should?" Albus asked.

"Yeah, you should. In fact, I wrote to my dad about it. He says it's fine so long as your parents are okay with it. Where did you get the Beans from?"

Scorpius sat down on Albus's bed and reached his hand into the box, grabbing three beans. Two were venomously green and the third was pale pink. Scorpius shrugged and stuffed them all in his mouth at once.

"Noah gave them to me. How long would I be staying with you?" Albus asked, setting aside his sweets and revision notes. O.W.L.s were coming up alarmingly fast and studying was taking up so much time it was a relief to break from the books.

Scorpius cringed at the combination of grass, broccoli, and apricot flavoured beans in his mouth. With enormous effort, he swallowed them and said: "I think five days is good. Preferably in mid-July."

A wide smile spread across Albus's face.

"Sounds like fun. I'll write a letter to my parents right now." He shuffled through the scrolls that littered his bed, searching for a blank one to write on. Soon, he uncovered a torn and ink-stained scrap and began to write on it. Once he had finished, he folded it up.

"I'm taking this down to the Owlery. Want to come?"

Scorpius shook his head. "I'm almost finished my book. I'll see you once you get back."

Albus tucked his letter into his pocket, planted a quick kiss on Scorpius's forehead, and dashed out of the dorm.

Scorpius changed into pajamas and returned to his own bed. He snatched his book off the nightstand, determined to finish it. There were only five chapters left to go. It was easy to get immersed in the detailed and intriguing writing. He read several pages when the plot took a terrifying turn. He barely acknowledged the lump in his throat or the tears on his cheeks. It suddenly became rather hard to breathe.

He did not look up when Albus entered the dorm. He could not tear his gaze away from the terrible book in his hands, the book he had loved so much, the book that had now betrayed him.

"Scorpius!" Albus yelped as he leaped onto the bed. "What happened?"

He couldn't seem to help himself. He whipped the wretched book across the room with all his might. It hit a solid stone wall and dropped to the ground, its broken spine scattering pages across the floor.

"Scorpius, stop! Don't!"

Seizing his wand off the bedside table, Scorpius pointed it at the book, pushing Albus away as easily as if he were made of paper.

"Incendio!" Scorpius roared. The broken book burst into flames.

"No!" Albus cried. He ran to his bed, where his own wand lay on his pillow. "Aguamenti!"

A jet of water extinguished the fire, but it was too late. There was only a pile of soggy ashes in the place of where the book had been.

Albus turned on Scorpius, a scary mixture of anger and fear in his eyes.

"Why would you do that?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm. Scorpius could only hide his tearful face in his hands. He felt Albus's arms around him, warm against his cold skin.

"What is it? Please tell me."

Scorpius sniffed and looked into his boyfriend's green eyes.

"Shirley died. Katya's mother. She got the red fever and died at the plantation. There was nothing anyone could do to save her."

Albus nodded, remorse and understanding spreading across his features. Then, he slid his arms around Scorpius's waist and held him tightly.

"It's okay," he crooned. "Don't cry."

Scorpius hugged his boyfriend tighter than ever before, so tightly he felt Albus's pulse.

"My mum died three years ago." He remembered that day well. Albus had come to the funeral in all black with teary eyes.

Holding Albus tight, he cried hard for his mother, for his father, who would always be lonely, for his broken family. Albus held him and whispered softly in his ear.

"Your mum is watching over you, Scorpius. I know she's proud of you."

Scorpius hugged Albus tighter at that. He felt the weight of his loss, but for the first time, he felt like he was sharing his pain with Albus. The burden seemed easier to bear, the pain less painful. He had never been able to talk about his mother or the hole her absence left in him with anybody except Albus. It was such a relief, such a wonderful feeling that Scorpius felt the bizarre desire to laugh.

"I love you." These were the only words in which he could place his gratitude.

"I love you too," Albus said. "But I kind of wish you hadn't burned the book just because you didn't like the ending."

At that, they both laughed. Then Albus looked seriously at Scorpius.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Scorpius nodded gratefully. "Yes, I think so."

Albus wiped a tear from Scorpius's cheek. "What's up?"

Scorpius sighed. "I miss my mum. There are times when I wish I could ask her questions. I miss when she used to read to me." He looked sadly at the burnt book, regretting destroying it.

"I've never told anybody this, but sometimes, I replay conversations I had with her in my head. It helps me remember her, what her voice sounded like, what her smile looked like. Stuff like that. But then there are other times when I can't remember her at all." His voice broke. "It's scary. Not being able to remember."

Albus touched Scorpius's lips with his warm fingertips. "There's nothing wrong with not being able to remember everything. You were young. You've been through a lot since she passed. Besides," Albus leaned in, staring deep into Scorpius's eyes. "You loved her and she loved you. That will never, ever fade."

Scorpius felt a single tear trickle down the side of his nose and onto his lips.

"Thank you, Albus. Being able to tell you this … you don't know how much it helps."

He shrugged. "I'm here for you. Always."

Scorpius felt as if an enormous weight was lifted off his chest. He found it easier to focus on his studies. The two spent the rest of the evening revising. O.W.L.s started in two days. There was much to be done.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

O.W.L.s. Albus hadn't studied quite as hard as Scorpius had, but he still felt well-prepared. He had reviewed his books and notes relentlessly over the past few weeks. In truth, he'd learned a lot that year. What more could he do?

First was Charms on Monday. The written exam asked about Levitation and Cheering Charms, both of which Albus felt he understood pretty well. For the practical, Albus was asked to turn a rat orange, make a clock do cartwheels, and use a Growth Charm to turn a rosebud into a blossom. Scorpius found the practical part a breeze, but Albus only managed to turn his rat pale yellow.

Transfiguration was on Tuesday. For this, Albus knew he was ready. He easily provided the definition of a Switching Spell on the written exam and made an entire wardrobe vanish in seconds for the practical. Both the elderly bearded examiner and the other fifth years were shocked and impressed at Albus's performance. Only he and Scorpius had gotten their whole wardrobes to disappear. Selel had only managed to get the handle on his to vanish before setting it on fire, which sort of made it disappear.

On Wednesday afternoon, when Albus and Scorpius entered Greenhouse Number Five for their Herbology exam, Neville greeted them with a warm smile. He sat them and the rest of the fifth years down with their examiner, a portly witch in a pointy purple hat.

"For this exam, you will need to demonstrate the proper feeding technique and care of the Fanged Geraniums before you," Neville explained.

For the next hour and a half, Scorpius and Albus tried not to get their fingers bitten off by the vicious plant. It was dangerous and stressful work, but by the time the exam was over, Neville wore a pleased expression on his round face.

"Good work, boys," he said proudly as the class filed out of the greenhouse. "I'm sure I can expect to see you in my Herbology class next year."

"Er, sure thing, professor," Scorpius responded nervously.

The next day was Defense Against the Dark Arts, one of Albus's favourite subjects. Their teacher was named Anthony Goldstein, a man about Albus's father's age, who was once a member of Dumbledore's Army during the Second Wizarding War. He taught them the most important spells: blocking, stunning, patronuses, and counter-jinxes. He even educated them on the three unforgivable curses. Their written exam asked them to identify the characteristics of a werewolf, something Albus could do easily, knowing his godbrother, Teddy Lupin, was the son of a werewolf named Remus, who died in the war. They were asked to perform Defensive Spells, reverse the terrifying power of a bogart using Riddikulus, and produce a Patronus. Albus's patronus was a snake, its large silver body slithering through the air. Scorpius conjured a scorpion, which scuttled about for their Ministry examiner. She was so flushed and impressed that Albus feared she may pass out.

They had a break over Friday and the weekend to continue studying. Albus and Scorpius were grateful for the extra time to prepare for next week's exams. Though the two had little free time to enjoy each other's company, they remained cheerful and optimistic for the upcoming week.

The following Monday was Potions. Professor Miyamoto sat next to the balding examiner, wearing a stern expression. Albus found this exam quite difficult, but was able to answer an essay question on Polyjuice Potion, having some experience with this particular brew. He had to prepare a few different potions, including Draught of Peace and Strengthening Solution. Albus felt he did alright, even if the Draught was a little off-colour.

For Care of Magical Creatures on Tuesday, the fifth years were required to pick out a Knarl from a group of hedgehogs, select food to give a sick Unicorn, feed a Fire Crab without burning themselves, and handle a Bowtruckle correctly. Hagrid appeared to be in a good mood, encouraging the students throughout the exam and offering congratulations when they did something right. Albus actually enjoyed this exam and judging by the examiner's bright smiling face, he must have done well.

On Wednesday, Albus had Astronomy, while Scorpius did not. He instead took Muggle Studies, the exam for which was Friday. Albus had to identify all of Jupiter's moons and fill in a star chart with the exact positions of all the planets and stars.

On Thursday came History of Magic, the subject Albus dreaded the most. The exam was painfully long and asked many questions about wand legislation, goblin riots, the formation of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Statute of Secrecy breaches. Praying he had at least passed, Albus finished his exam and went to the library with Scorpius, who had his Muggle Studies final the following day.

Friday morning, Scorpius completed his Muggle Studies exam.

"It was pretty easy," he said that afternoon. "But I think I answered the question about Muggle fashion trends wrong."

That evening, the student body of Hogwarts gathered for one last feast. The Great Hall was filled with the sounds of laughter, clinking glasses, and lively chatter. James and the rest of the seventh years gathered at the head of the hall to shake Professor McGonagall's hand and have their photograph taken. She called each of them up individually to receive their yellowed parchment diplomas. Albus thought it was strange that he would no longer be attending school with James from then on, but he clapped for his brother nonetheless.

Afterward, the rowdy Slytherins returned to their dorm to pack the remainder of their things before boarding the Hogwarts Express the next morning. Albus crammed the last of his books and his cauldron into his trunk before locking it up. He got ready for bed and sat down at the edge of Scorpius's bed.

"Are you excited to go home?" he said to his weary boyfriend.

Scorpius stretched and yawned. "I guess I am. I'm looking forward to seeing my dad. I really miss him."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the look on my dad's face when we tell him we're dating," Albus said with a chuckle.

Sighing deeply, Scorpius got beneath the cover of his bed. He lifted the blankets, inviting Albus to join him. Albus smiled and curled up next to Scorpius beneath the sheets, settling into his embrace. Within minutes, they were fast asleep.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Scorpius peered between the green curtains of his bed, where Albus slept peacefully. His chest rose and fell steadily and his lips were slightly parted. Looking away, Scorpius closed his trunk and locked it. Blondie stood inside her cage, her head tucked under her wing. Scorpius didn't move the cage for fear of waking her. Then, very quietly, he opened the bed curtains.

"Good morning, my love," he whispered. "Time to get up. We're going home today."

Albus rubbed his eyes with his fists grouchily but did not protest.

The students of Hogwarts ate their breakfast enthusiastically. They spoke of plans for the summer holidays and promised to write. Professor McGonagall delivered a lovely speech, thanking everyone for another year and wishing them a safe and happy summer. It was touching, but something told Scorpius she was more relieved than sad to see the year end.

Soon, they were on the train platform, ready to board the Hogwarts Express for the day's journey back to King's Cross Station in London. Scorpius stood next to Albus in a huddle of their friends. Hagrid's large silhouette was stationed near the scarlet engine. Latching onto Albus's sleeve, Scorpius wound his way through the crowd to Hagrid's side.

"Thanks for another great year, Hagrid. We hope you'll write us!" Scorpius said.

"Of course, Scorpius! Look for my owl." Hagrid beamed at the two, dark eyes welling with tears.

Albus shot Scorpius an amused look. "Don't cry, Hagrid. It's only for the summer. We'll be back before you know it."

Hagrid then pulled a large spotted handkerchief from his overcoat and blew his nose, which sounded somewhat like a fog horn.

"We'll miss you, too," Scorpius assured him.

Hagrid dabbed his teary eyes and said: "Oh, come 'ere, you two."

The boys were pulled into a bone-crushing hug. After a good ten seconds, Hagrid released them.

"Now, you two enjoy yer summer break. Don't be gettin' yourselves into any trouble."

"Hagrid," Albus said innocently. "When have we ever been troublemakers?"

The half-giant's hairy face split into a grin.

"Go on now. Get back to yer friends. I expect we'll be boarding soon."

With that, an ear-splitting whistle blared from the train's steaming engine.

"Bye, Hagrid!" Scorpius called as he and Albus shuffled back to their friends. Within minutes, they were aboard the Hogwarts Express.

Scorpius quickly chose a compartment and settled in with Albus and Heiress on his side and Noah, Selel, and Keith across from them. Rose, James, Lily, and Hugo sat in the next compartment over, still stung over losing the Quidditch Cup.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Albus said excitedly. "My parents wrote back to me. They said it's fine that I stay with you this summer."

Scorpius grinned and threw an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. "That's good to hear."

The train ride was spent discussing summer plans, munching on chocolate frogs, and playing Exploding Snap. The Slytherins laughed and joked without a care and before they knew it, the train had reached Platform 9⅓. The lively faces of excited parents stood beyond the window.

The group of friends disembarked the train and quickly found their luggage. They exchanged sad farewells, each promising to write the other.

"Your parents will be so happy you're together, you and Albus, I know it!" Heiress said before giving Scorpius a quick peck on the cheek.

Everyone made off for their own families. As always, the one and only Harry Potter, tall and dark-haired, stood with his wife, Ginny, and his good friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Draco Malfoy stood apart from them, leaning against a pillar with crosses arms.

Scorpius couldn't help but noticed that his father had a pinched look about him. His skin appeared bluish, almost translucent, and quite a bit of his hair had fallen out. Concern crowded Scorpius's mind as he walked into his dad's bony embrace.

"There he is. How's my boy?" Draco's voice was surprisingly strong despite his sickly appearance.

"I'm great, dad. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Here, let me take that." Draco seized Scorpius's trunk with ease and wore a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Did you have a good term? How were your O.W.L.s?"

Scorpius nodded, trying to appear enthusiastic. "It was a really excellent term. I think I aced my O.W.L.s. Especially Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Draco ruffled Scorpius's hair playfully. "That's brilliant. I'm so proud of you, son." He cast a glance at the Potter and Weasley families, who were welcoming their children with joy.

With a sigh he said: "I suppose we'd better say hello."

The Malfoys approached them, Draco extending handshakes to Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron.

"Good to see you all. And Harry, Ginny, you two must be so proud of your graduate!"

Ginny beamed with pride and placed a hand on James's shoulder. "We are! He's got an office at the Daily Prophet just waiting for him, haven't you, James?"

James shrugged and pretended to hate the attention. "Yeah, I suppose."

Scorpius made eye contact with Albus. A feeling of unease flooded him.

"And how did Scorpius, Rose, and Albus find their O. ?" Hermione asked. "I'm sure you all studied hard?"

"Well, I really hoped I'd be able to take them before my fifth year, but I guess I did alright, all things considered," Rose replied, shooting Scorpius a mournful look.

Trying to ignore the guilt that suddenly sparked in his chest, Scorpius cleared his throat. "Albus and I have something to tell you all."

All eyes turned to look at him. Silence fell over the group. Albus came to his side, clasping his hand firmly.

"Mom, dad, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Mr. Malfoy, we'd like you all to know that Scorpius and I are a couple," Albus told them, exuding confidence.

There was a moment of hesitation. Then, Ron Weasley let loose a hearty laugh.

"I saw that one coming!" he exclaimed.

Harry Potter looked thoughtful. Ginny's cheeks turned pink. Draco smirked.

Harry said slowly: "How long … ?"

"Since April," Albus explained. "We wanted to wait and tell you all in person. We don't care whether you accept us or not. Scorpius and I can't help the way we feel about each other. Nothing you can say or do will ever change that. And no matter what you do, you'll never keep us apart." The monologue came rushing out of Albus's mouth with such ferocity and determination that Scorpius couldn't help but feel proud of the boy he loved.

Ginny was the first to respond. "Of course we accept you, sweetheart!" she came to his side and pulled her son into a tight hug. Draco wrapped his arm around Scorpius's neck and embraced him.

"You already know how I feel," he murmured. "I'll always accept you and I love you no matter what."

Harry stepped forward, and silence fell over the crowd. "Boys, I want you to know how proud and impressed I am with you both. Telling us this today must have been frightening." Harry cleared his throat and adjusted the spectacles on his nose. "But, more importantly than that, Albus, I want you to believe me when I say that not only do I accept you for who you are and who you love"—he looked kindly at Scorpius—"but I'm truly very happy for you and this young man."

Scorpius saw the tears in Albus's eyes and he couldn't help but feel elated. He watched Albus fall into his father's arms. Ginny wrapped her arms around the two of them and soon, all the Potter's had formed a group hug around Albus. When he emerged from his family's embrace, his face was flushed and wet with tears. He beamed at Scorpius who, overcome with emotion, kissed him right on the lips.

"Alright, alright, enough of this mushy nonsense," Ron interjected. "Let's celebrate this pairing and James's glorious graduation at the Three Broomsticks. Drinks are on me!"

Ignoring Hermione's annoyed expression, everyone seemed to love the idea. Together, the three families left the station, full of life.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Scorpius was grateful to be home. He walked up the pathway to the grand front entrance of Malfoy Manor, passing hedges and trees on the lawn. A lone white peacock strutted across the pathway ahead of him and disappeared behind a bush. The fountain stood tall, trickling water into a pool below. Roses and other brightly coloured flowers grew all across the garden, filling the air with sickly sweet perfume. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds fluttered around. Draco saw to it that the front lawn was well kept and blossoming.

Once inside the massive door, he placed his trunk on the wooden floorboards of the brightly lit entrance hall and breathed in the smell of home. The walls were covered in portraits of Scorpius, Astoria, and Draco, smiling and blinking in their ornate frames.

"It's good to be back," he sighed to Draco, who hung his jacket inside the closet and ran a hand through his hair.

"You must be hungry," he said softly. "What would you like to eat for dinner?"

"Can we make spaghetti?" Scorpius asked hopefully.

"Of course," his father said with a smile.

Scorpius ran up the spiral staircase to his bedroom in the west wing of the house and dropped his trunk on his bed. Then, he bolted back down to the massive kitchen, where evening sunlight filtered into the room through large windows. Since Scorpius was born, Draco did everything he could to make the Manor feel like a proper home. He threw out dozens of old paintings of dead ancestors, removed all the dark, heavy curtains, and painted the walls in lighter colours. The house now had a sort of charming medieval feel to it, as it was large and drafty, but also bright and comfortable.

When they sat down to eat at the long dining table, Scorpius was halfway done his plate when he noticed that his father hadn't touched his. He sat back in his chair and watched Scorpius, a distant expression on his face.

"What's wrong, Father?" he asked, wiping his mouth on a napkin. "Why aren't you eating?"

"Oh, I'm not very hungry," Draco replied casually.

Scorpius scrutinized his father. He was pale and thin, his hair appearing greyer than usual. His eyes were bloodshot with purple circles below them.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or are you going to keep lying to me?" Scorpius said at last. He put his fork down and folded his hands.

Draco sighed deeply and scratched his stubble miserably.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, son," he said in a feeble voice. "I've been feeling down for weeks. Sometimes I can't get out of bed in the morning and other times I lie awake all night and stare at the ceiling. I don't want to go anywhere or do anything. I can't eat. I feel tired and sore all the time."

He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Scorpius, I've been thinking about hurting myself a lot lately. I just feel so empty."

Draco pursed his lips and looked up nervously. Scorpius was stunned.

"I'm sorry," Draco began. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Scorpius whispered.

"I couldn't burden you with this problem of mine," he mumbled. "You were at school. You had your own things to take care of."

"I needed to know about this, Father," Scorpius said firmly. "You should have told me."

"I'll get better, son," Draco insisted. "I want to get better."

"You will," Scorpius decided. "And I'm going to help you. I'm not leaving you alone in this house until you're better."

"Don't be ridiculous," said Draco. "I'll be fine. I can manage."

"No, Father," Scorpius said. "You've always taken care of me. Now I'm going to take care of you. I'll write Albus a letter and tell him that he can't come over this summer-"

"No, Scorpius, he's still welcome to come."

"And I'm not going back to school until you've overcome this sickness."

"I cannot accept that, Scorpius." Draco had a very serious look in his eyes. "That is completely unnecessary."

"If it means that I'm here to stop you from hurting yourself, it is very necessary," Scorpius responded in an equally serious tone.

The two stared each other down for a long moment, testing the weight of the words shared between them. At last, Draco lowered his gaze.

"I don't like feeling like this," he murmured. "I can't stand feeling weak and helpless."

"No one can be strong all the time," Scorpius responded. "We're all weak and helpless sometimes."

"I still think Albus should come over," his father suggested. "You deserve to spend some time with him outside of school."

"Okay, Father," Scorpius said, twirling spaghetti around his fork. "But we're going to have to tell him about the new arrival."

Draco put his hands up in surrender. "That's fine with me."

Finally, Draco began eating the food on his plate. The two sat in silence for the rest of the meal.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

Scorpius paced nervously across the drawing room, chewing his fingernails. Anxiously, he fluffed the pillows on the sofas and peered out of the curtains. It was the second week of July and Albus Potter was expected to arrive with his father by Portkey at eleven o'clock.

"Oh, will you relax?" Draco exclaimed, coming into the room with a tray of tea and biscuits. "They'll be here any moment."

"They're late," Scorpius grumbled, stuffing a biscuit in his mouth.

"They might be having Portkey trouble," Draco mused, turning toward the window.

At that moment, two figures appeared in the blink of an eye on the front lawn. The shorter of which nearly toppling into a bush, sending the white peacock scurrying away. Harry Potter seized his son by the arm to keep him from falling and picked his truck up from the grass. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he made his way for the front door.

Scorpius shot into the entrance hall, heaving open the oak door. Draco followed closely behind as he descended the porch steps and flew into the arms of his beloved, lifting Albus off the ground and spinning him.

"Well, hello," Albus huffed, straightening his shirt once Scorpius released him.

"I've missed you," Scorpius breathed into his ear. "There is so much I have to tell you."

Turning towards Harry Potter, Scorpius shyly extended his hand. "Good morning, Mr. Potter. Thanks for bringing Albus."

Harry shook his hand with a peculiar gleam in his eyes, brows furrowed. "Hello again, Scorpius."

The two boys carried the trunk to the front door, where they placed it on the rug in the entrance hall.

"Good to see you, Potter," Draco said, offering Harry a handshake. Something passed between the two men that Scorpius was unable to name.

"Did you have a decent trip?" Scorpius asked.

"I've never liked using Portkeys," Albus replied, rubbing his stomach. "They make me feel sick."

"You'll feel better in about an hour or so, son," Harry told him. Glancing around the room, he had a strange expression on his face. "Goodness, the last time I was here…"

"It was during the war," Draco finished. He too wore an odd look on his face. It was not nostalgia, nor was it shame. It was remembrance.

"Yes, but it looks different now. More like a proper home," mused the other father, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "You'll be okay from here?"

"Yes, Dad," Albus snorted, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. "I'll be fine."

"Alright, then. I'll be off." Harry offered a small smile to Scorpius and Albus. "Have fun, you two. Take care, Malfoy."

"See you later," Draco responded as Harry made his way into the sunny yard and disappeared into himself, Apparating out of sight.

"Excellent." Scorpius's father then flicked his wand and Albus's trunk began to float in midair. "Let's get this upstairs."

The two boys followed after Draco as he ascended the large spiral staircase to the second floor. However, he did not lead them to Scorpius's room. Instead, they marched up a second flight of stairs and journeyed to the west wing, where most of the guest bedrooms were located.

Draco selected a spacious room that a king would be comfortable in. There were a tall four-poster bed and several overstuffed armchairs. Sunlight streamed through a set of French doors, bordered by white curtains. It was apparent that the room had been recently cleaned, as the furniture was dusted, the pillows fluffed, and the glass doors washed. He let the trunk fall onto the carpeted floor with a soft thud.

"Dad, is Albus not going to sleep in my room?" Scorpius asked in confusion.

"Well," his father began. "If you had invited Albus over as your best friend, I would not have been a problem with it. However, since you declared him your boyfriend, I have made arrangements for him to sleep in a different room."

Draco chuckled, clearly pleased with himself. Albus turned bright red and sputtered something incoherent.

"Oh, come on, Dad," Scorpius scoffed. "If Albus and I wanted to do that, we would have done it back in the Slytherin dorm."

"Scorpius!" Albus cried, casting him a terrified glance. "He's only joking, Mr. Malfoy, I swear."

Draco only rolled his eyes and smirked. "I'll let you get settled, then. The bathroom is just over there." He gestured to the right, where the ensuite bathroom gleamed in the morning light. "When you boys are ready, you can come downstairs for lunch."

He nodded and left the room, disappearing down the staircase. Albus landed a punch on Scorpius's arm.

"You prat! That was so embarrassing!" he exclaimed, his ears still pink.

"He knows I'm kidding," Scorpius said, shrugging. "Now, let's get you unpacked."

The two boys opened Albus's trunk and sorted his clothes into the dresser. Then, they made their way down to the expansive kitchen, with large windows and tall ceilings. Draco was placing sandwiches, bottles of fruit juice, and biscuits into a basket.

"I thought we could eat outside in the gazebo," he said with a smile.

In the backyard of Malfoy Manor, tall hedges bordered the property. There were fountains, flowers, and ponds filled with shimmering fish scattered across the grassy landscape. Birds fluttered between the hedges and bushes. Bees and butterflies hopped from flower to flower.

The three set the table under the shade of the gazebo with plates, napkins, and glasses. They munched on sandwiches and sipped lemonade, discussing their plans for the summer and remarking at the beautiful weather.

"So, what else have you been dying to tell me?" Albus asked, wiping his mouth on a napkin.

"Well," Scorpius began. "My dad and I have big news."

"We're going to be welcoming a new member into our family," Draco said, beaming. "Not that I wasn't happy with Scorpius, but I always wanted more children, and with Astoria's illness, it didn't look like it was going to be possible. So, Scorpius and I decided together that I would hire a surrogate mother. The delivery is expected to be in early July."

Albus didn't speak at first, looking from Scorpius to Draco and back again. He appeared to be processing the information.

"I'm going to have a baby sister," Scorpius explained at last. "She's going to be born next month."

"That's … incredible," Albus whispered, a smile beginning to tug on the corners of his mouth. "Scorpius, Mr. Malfoy, that's so wonderful."

"We're very excited," Draco commented. "I've had to stock up on diapers and baby clothes for the first time in sixteen years."

"I couldn't tell you at first," Scorpius added. "Because Dad wanted me to keep it a secret. The surrogate mother is a Muggle, so he was afraid of what people might say. But since the delivery is so soon, I thought it was time I told you."

Albus looked overjoyed. "That's spectacular. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Albus," Draco said, leaning back in his chair, letting a sliver of sunlight turn his blond hair white.

Scorpius took Albus's hand under the table, stroking his thumb across the other boy's fingers.

"What do you think you'll name her?" Albus said, closing his fingers around Scorpius's hand.

"I've picked a name," Draco announced. "But I haven't told Scorpius yet. He'll have to wait until she's born."

Scorpius groaned in annoyance and Albus merely laughed.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

The week was spent in euphoria. Albus and Scorpius spent every moment together. They sat for hours in the Malfoy library, with towering bookshelves beneath a glorious glass ceiling. They ate their meals in the garden, surrounded by blossoms and butterflies. They were even visited by the wizened old peacock, who strutted boldly across their picnic spot. On the fourth day, Scorpius surprised Albus with a trip to the beach. He unveiled an old red convertible parked in a rickety shed on the lawn, and they drove along the coast, wind in their hair and the radio blasting. They visited a movie theatre in the nearby town and watched some silly romantic comedy film. Albus bought Scorpius popcorn with some of his Muggle money. They ate dinner at a small cafe and walked home in the moonlight hand in hand.

On the last night at Malfoy Manor, Albus lay alone on his bed, leafing through the book Scorpius had been reading while they were still at school. He was quite enjoying the third chapter when he heard a soft knock on the door. Curious as to who the late-night visitor may be, he responded with: "Yes?"

Much to his shock, Scorpius crept through the door, shutting it silently behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief. In his arms, he clutched a chessboard.

"I thought he may have hexed our doors," he whispered. "I guess not."

"I don't think you're supposed to be in here, Scorpius," Albus said softly, glancing anxiously at the door. "What if your father comes upstairs?"

"Oh, he's gone to bed on the fourth floor already," he replied. "He won't bother us."

Albus shook his head, chuckling. He put the book on the bedside table. "Let's play, then."

Scorpius grinned and lay the board out on the bed, arranging all the pieces in their correct positions. Trying hard to keep their laughter quiet, the two played game after game. Albus was pleased to actually win once or twice.

"You let me beat you," Albus said accusingly, collecting the broken pieces in his hand.

"Maybe a little," Scorpius admitted with a smile that disappeared as quickly as it came. "I'm going to miss this next year."

"What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

"Albus, I'm not going back to Hogwarts next year." The disappointment in his expression was heartbreaking. "I need to stay with my dad. He's been dealing with a lot lately. I think he may be depressed."

Albus was speechless for only a moment before he spoke. "So … all those letters he wrote you … when you thought he was …"

"He told me he wanted to hurt himself, Albus," Scorpius said, blinking away the tears in his eyes. "I can't just leave him. He needs me."

The silence weighed on the two for a moment. Then Albus sighed and looked up at Scorpius. In his heart, there was something beyond compassion, beyond understanding, beyond love. The idea of spending a year at Hogwarts without Scorpius horrified him. He didn't think he could bear such a thing. But he needed to accept Scorpius's choice. He would have to support him, no matter how much it hurt.

"Of course," he murmured, his voice raspy. "Of course. You have to do what you have to do. He's your dad."

Scorpius's wiped his eyes on the sleeves of his pyjamas and opened his arms. Albus went into them, holding Scorpius tight.

"Thank you," Scorpius whispered. "I was scared that you might not understand."

"I get it, Scorp," Albus murmured into his boyfriend's shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay."

"I hope so," Scorpius whispered, letting go and rubbing his eyes. "It's going to suck when you leave tomorrow."

"We'll be able to see each other again. Don't worry."

"I hope that's true."

Albus looked glumly at the clock and realized it was well past midnight. However, he did not feel one bit tired. He felt Scorpius's eyes on him and met his gaze.

"What is it?" Albus asked. He leaned back against a pillow and sighed.

"Nothing," Scorpius whispered. There was a hunger in his eyes that made his heart pound.

"I'm guessing you don't want to go to sleep just yet," Albus murmured, feeling his cheeks flush.

"Well," Scorpius mused, running his cold fingers over the back of Albus's hand. "This is your last night here. I want to enjoy you."

"I see," Albus said. "So you didn't sneak into my room just to play chess, did you?"

Scorpius looked away, drawing back his hand. "Only if you want to."

"I want to."

Albus felt his own blood roaring in his ears as he took Scorpius's hand and pulled him closer. Arms wrapped around each other, they kissed with a fire and a passion unlike ever before. Albus felt Scorpius plant kisses on his neck and his own body craved more. His fingers found their way to the buttons of Scorpius's pyjamas, sliding the flannel fabric off his slender shoulders. Scorpius pulled Albus's t-shirt over his head and pushed him down onto the bed. Leaning over, Scorpius then blew out the candle on Albus's bedside table and kissed him with fire again.

The moon shone through the bedroom window as Albus lay on Scorpius's chest, their hands joined. As hard as he tried to align his breathing to that of Scorpius's, his companion's breath was just too fast.

"You'll have tonight, Albus," Scorpius whispered into the dark silence. "However long until we see each other again, we have tonight to remember each other by."

"I'm happy for that," Albus replied glumly, again confronted by the reality that he would be apart from his boyfriend for a long time.

"You know I love you, right?" Scorpius's voice was stronger this time. "Whatever happens in the future, that will never change."

"I know," Albus promised. "I love you, too."

He kissed Scorpius's chest gently. "You better not fall asleep in my bed. Your father might find out."

"Don't worry, I won't," Scorpius said sleepily. "I'll go back to bed very soon."


End file.
